Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of ethanol extract of Artocarpus altilis leaves

Abstract

Nowadays, people are very concerned about the dangers of synthetic antibacterial agents and antioxidants. Their preference for using natural products of good quality with environmental friendliness continues to grow and can improve body health. In recent years, the antimicrobial and antioxidant actions of medicinal plants have received much attention. Artocarpus altilis or breadfruit is a versatile plant that can be used by humans. Starting from the fruit as food, the leaves are used to treat various diseases, the flowers can be used as mosquito repellent, and the stems are used as building materials. Breadfruit is one of the native plants from North Sumatra, disseminating information about the efficacy and nutritional content that is still lacking, with the diversification of technology in research on breadfruit leaves is expected to provide benefits for the community. This study aimed to determine the antibacterial and antioxidant activities, total flavonoid, and total phenolic content of A. altilis leaves. The extract was prepared using ethanol with the maceration method. The antibacterial activity was determined with the minimum inhibitory concentration method. The concentration of 300 mg/mL up to a concentration of 25 mg/mL can inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Propionibacterium acnes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antioxidant activity was determined with the 1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Total flavonoid and total phenolic content were determined with colourimetric methods. Antioxidant activity from the DPPH assay measured as IC50 was 29.60±0.14 µg/mL. The extract was found to contain high levels of total phenolic (295.22±3.20 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid (28.55±0.54 mg QE/g). The results revealed that the ethanol extract of A. altilis leaves has antibacterial and antioxidant potential.