DNA isolation of clove and lemongrass using modification of the Doyle and Doyle methods and their relation with antioxidant activity

Abstract

Clove (Syzigium aromaticum) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon winterianus) are essential oil-producing plants that are widely available in Indonesia and have high economic value for medicinal and industrial needs because of their antioxidant activity. However, the information about the relationship between antioxidant activity and the DNA content in these plants was very limited. Especially because DNA isolation of aromatic plants is also not easy to do with methods that are widely used. Therefore, this study aims to isolate DNA from clove and lemongrass using a modified Doyle and Doyle method and to find the relationship between the quality and quantity of DNA with their antioxidant activity. The method used was the use of PVP, isopropanol and sodium acetate for the modification of the Doyle and Doyle method in DNA isolation followed by antioxidant analysis using DPPH. The results showed that the modification to the Doyle and Doyle method had obtained high concentrations of DNA. Besides that, the clove DNA content is higher than lemongrass which is supported by the antioxidant activity of both plants.