Characterization and determination of total phenol levels of ethanolic extract of bawang dayak bulbs (Eleutherine bulbosa urb.) based on variation in growing time of plants

Abstract

Background: Bawang dayak (Eleutherine bulbosa Urb.) grows widely in Kalimantan. This plant can be used as a raw material for medicine and is known to contain phenolic compounds that have antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The quality of the raw material of a plant determines its pharmacological activity. This is, of course, related to the content of compounds or active substances. One factor that plays an important role is the age of harvest, which can affect the content of compounds both qualitatively and quantitatively. Objective: To determine the simplicia characterization and total phenol content in bulbs of bawang dayak extracted using 96% ethanol, which were harvested at the ages of 1, 2, and 3 months. Method: Bulbs of bawang dayak are used in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months with several testing stages, namely organoleptic tests, macroscopic tests, and microscopic tests. Further qualitative analysis used TLC with chloroform and methanol (8:2) as the mobile phases. In the quantitative test, we used a UV-Via spectrophotometer with the folin-ciocalteau reagent and the gallic acid comparison. Results: The TLC test showed a positive result for phenol, which was marked after being sprayed with 1% FeCl3, a black spot appeared. The results of the determination of total phenol content in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months, respectively, were 59.196 ± 0.057, 76.596 ± 0.057, and 60.63 ± 0.2 mg/g GAE. Conclusion: The data above shows that the highest total phenol content is in the second month.