Optimization of Drying and Extraction Process of <i>Pereskia bl</i><i>eo</i> Leaves in Determining Antioxidant Properties Utilizing Pareto ANOVA

Abstract

Pereskia Bleois commonly used among the local traditional medicine practitioners to prevent or treat cancer by consuming the leaves either raw or taken as a concoction brewed from fresh leaves. However, more research, regulation and standardization are required before herbal medicines can be recommended as effective and safe therapies. The objectives of this study are to obtain the optimum drying parameter and to identify the concentrations of phenolic content expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAEs) inPereskia bleoleaves. Pareto ANOVA method was used to study the optimum condition and the total phenolic content via F-Test using three samples for variance and three-factor with replication. Taguchi ANOVA was performed using SN ratio with L9 orthogonal array to accommodate the three factor level. The drying time were tested for 3 hours, 4 hours and 5 hours. The result shows that drying time is the significant factor in drying process and followed by drying temperature and solvent volume used. The drying experiments were conducted at operating temperature of 35 °C, 40 °C and 45 °C. While the extraction were conducted at different volume using methanol of 150 ml, 180 ml and 200 ml. The standard curve of total phenolic content was based on the gallic acid compound. The total phenolic content in C2 was at the most suitable for being used as antioxidant for consumption in human body with drying time of 5 hours at 45 °C by using 180 ml of methanol for extraction ofP.bleoleaves.