PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILE AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF INDONESIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS: A FOUNDATION FOR MODERN PHARMACEUTICAL DEVELOPMENT
Keywords:
Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant Activity, Indonesian Medicinal Plants, Dpph Assay, Pharmaceutical DevelopmentAbstract
Indonesian medicinal plants have long been utilized as traditional remedies, yet their potential as standardized materials for modern pharmaceutical development remains underexplored. This study examines the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activities of selected Indonesian herbal species, including Embelia sp. (jembelu leaves), Poikilospermum suaveolens (lupun roots), Syzygium polyanthum (bay leaves), Pandanus amaryllifolius (pandan leaves), and rhizomatous plants such as Curcuma longa (turmeric), Zingiber officinale (ginger), and Curcuma xanthorrhiza (temulawak). Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, saponins, and steroids, while antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging method. The findings showed that lupun root and bay leaf extracts demonstrated the strongest antioxidant capacity, with IC₅₀ values of 20.44 µg/mL and 25.68 µg/mL, respectively. These results highlight their high potential for use as natural antioxidant sources in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications. This study contributes to scientific validation of Indonesia’s traditional medicinal plants and their integration into modern evidence-based drug development
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