Antioxidant activity and toxicity of melur (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) leaves as potential anti-cancer agent

Abstract

Aceh, especially Langsa, has medicinal plants, one of which is the melur plant (Gardenia Jasminoides Ellis). The leaves of the melur plant are used traditionally to treat heartburn and for fever. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential antioxidant activity and toxicity as an anti cancer agent of the leaves of the melur plant. The method used in this research is phytochemical screening, namely testing the presence of medicinal compounds in melur leaves, such as alkaloids, teriterpenoids, flavonoids and saponins using standard reagents. Furthermore, maceration uses a polar solvent (96% ethanol) and the solvent is evaporated by a rotary evaporator to obtain crude extract. The crude extract was then tested for bioactivity, namely the toxicity test with the Brine Shrimp Lethality Test (BSLT) method using Artemia Salina Leach shrimp larvae and its antioxidant activity using UV-Visible with the DPPH method (2,2-diphenyl-1-pikrilhidrazil) and for positive control used vitamin C. The results of phytochemical screening showed that the leaves of melur (Gardenia Jasminoides Ellis) contained medicinal compounds such as alkaloids, triterpenoids, saponins and flavonoids. The test results of the BSLT method gave results, namely the LC50 of 37,50. The results of the antioxidant activity test using the DPPH method showed that the IC50 of melur leaves (Gardenia Jasminoides Ellis) was 6,93 and the IC50 for positive control was 6,42.