Alkaloids identification from the fronds of 5 species pterydophyta in Baluran Nasional Park

Abstract

The fern is remaining underexplored in medical aspects in comparison to other vascular plants. In recent years, fern alkaloids have been shown to be of vital significance to mankind as active contributors to health. Hence, the purpose of this study is to identify flavonoids components from the fronds of 5 species Pteridophyta in Baluran Nasional Park to provide more information about its chemical constituents in this experiment. The samples were fronds of Dryopteris hirtipes (Bl.) Kuntze, Phymatodes scolopendria (Burm.) Ching, Pseudocyclosorrus ochthodes (Kunze) Holttum, Pteris vittata L. and Stenochlaena palustris (Burm.) Beddome was taken from Baluran National Park which has a height of 0-1000 masl, with a rainfall intensity of about 2000-4000 mm per year. The research was conducted by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) method. Samples of 5 species fronds were made as powder then extracted using methanol (1:10). Methanolic extract of fronds subsequently tested by TLC test. Fronds from Dryopteris hirtipes (Bl.) Kuntze, Phymatodes scolopendria (Burm.) Ching, Pseudocyclosorrus ochthodes (Kunze) Holttum, and Pteris vittata L. showed that contain alkaloids but Stenochlaena palustris (Burm.) Beddome is not. There are no alkaloids from Stenochlaena palustris (Burm.) Beddome in this experiment may be caused by the environmental condition that affects the biosynthesis of alkaloids. Therefore, environmental conditions must be considered by pharmacologists and phytochemicals, besides the nature of the plant, because they affect the type of secondary metabolite production.