Bioactive Compounds and In Vitro Evaluation of Phyllanthus niruri Extract as Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

Abstract

Phyllanthus niruri grows easily in Indonesia and is widely used in traditional medicine. Differences in growing conditions, methods of preparation, and harvest time greatly affect the phytochemical contents, affecting the efficacy and toxicity of medicinal plants. This study aims to identify the phytochemical contents and toxicity and determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Phyllanthus niruri extract (PNE) commonly used by people in Aceh. Phytochemical analysis was carried out qualitatively and semi-quantitatively with GC-MS. A toxicity test was carried out with the brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT). The antioxidant activity was assessed by measuring IC50 against the DPPH system. Antimicrobial assays against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans were determined based on the disc diffusion test. The results of this study indicate that PNE contains phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, saponins, and alkaloids. Based on the semiquantitative phytochemical analysis using GC-MS, the major phytochemical component of PNE is 2,3 dihydro-3-5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, hexadecanoic acid, triazole derivates, linolenic acid, benzaldehyde 3,4-dimethoxy, hexahydroanthracene derivatives, and phytol. The LC50 PNE is 532.96 ppm. The IC50 value for PNE in inhibiting DPPH is 56.72 ppm. PNE has antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, directly proportional to the increase in concentration. PNE obtained in community yards in Aceh has a low level of toxicity with potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. HIGHLIGHTS Phyllanthus niruri (PNE) extract contains various compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, tannins, and saponins PNE exhibits strong antioxidant activity with low toxicity Antimicrobial activity of PNE against the growth of S. aureus while exhibiting comparatively lower potency against E. coli and C. albicans GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT