Analysis of antioxidant activity, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of ethanol extract of Litsea cubeba Lour. Bark

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Tri Dharma No.5, Medan, 20155, North Sumatera, Indonesia
² Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Tri Dharma No.5, Medan, 20155, North Sumatera, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: aminah@usu.ac.id

Abstract

Free radicals also play a role in the pathology of various degenerative diseases such as cancer, rheumatism, coronary heart disease, cataracts, and others. Free radicals can come from within the body (endogenous) and outside the body (exogenous). Litsea cubeba (Lour,) is a Lauraceae family plant which have contents volatile oils which used as antimicrobial, anticancer on breast cancer, pesticide, antideppressants, antiinflammation, antioxidant, and neuro pharmacology. The extract was prepared using water with the soxhletation method. The antioxidant activity was determined with the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-Azinobis [3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6)-sulfonic acid] -diammonium salt (ABTS) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) methods. Total flavonoid and total phenolic content were determined with colorimetric methods. Antioxidant activity measured as IC₅₀ was 23.37 ± 0.42 µg/mL; 111.21 ± 0.42 and 109.01 ± 0.28 respectively. The extract was found to contain high levels of total phenolic (282.93 ± 0.33 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid 7.49 ± 0.51 mg QE/g). The results reveal that ethanol extract of Litsea cubeba Lour. Bark has antioxidant potential. The further analysis is to isolation antioxidant compound.