Phytochemical and antioxidant activities of chloroform extract of Sonneratia alba leaves from Ngurah Rai Mangrove Forest, Bali - Indonesia

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of oxidative stress-related diseases triggers exploration of new antioxidant compounds. Among natural resources, mangrove trees are prominent producer of unique secondary metabolites. This research was designed to determine phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of Sonneratia alba mangrove leaves extract from Ngurah Rai Mangrove Forest, Bali. The study comprises experimental trials with post-test only control group design. Fresh leaves collected from five different S. alba plants were washed, dried, and grinded into powder. One-hundred gram of dried leaves powder was macerated with 500 mL of chloroform for 2x24 hours. The crude extract was analysed for its antioxidant activity based on DPPH assay. While, phytochemical analysis was evaluated using qualitative approaches and GC-MS method. The chloroform extract showed very strong antioxidant activity with IC50 of 15.59±0.78 ppm. Phytochemical analysis displayed that the extract contains tannin, phenol, and steroid, which explain its antioxidant properties. Furthermore, GC-MS analysis showed that this extract consists of four compounds, namely mesitylene, benzene-1,2,4-trimethyl, benzene-1-ethyl-3-methyl, and benzene-1-ethyl-2-methyl. In conclusion, these results present promising antioxidant activity of chloroform extract of S. alba mangrove leaves from Ngurah Rai Mangrove Forest, Bali. Further research is required to isolate and to purify the specific antioxidant bioactive for therapeutic purposes.