POTENTIAL ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF SURUHAN LEAF AND STEM EXTRACT (Peperomia pellucida L. Kunth) USING THE DPPH METHOD AND DETERMINATION OF PHENOLIC AND FLAVONOID LEVELS

Antioxidants are compounds that are capable of neutralizing free radicals. One plant with potential antioxidant properties is Peperomia pellucida. Objective: This study aimed to determine the antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and total flavonoid content of extracts of the leaves and stems of Peperomia pellucida. Methods: Antioxidant activity was tested using the DPPH method, while the total phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Extraction was performed via reflux using three different solvents: n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. Results: The highest antioxidant activity was found in the ethanol extract of the leaves, with an IC50 value of 36.85 µg/mL, and in the stems, with an IC50 value of 71.28 µg/mL. The highest total phenolic content in the ethanol extract of the leaves was 14.46 mg GAE/g and that in the stems was 12.82 mg GAE/g. The highest total flavonoid content in the ethanol extract of the leaves was 12.12 mg QE/g and that in the stems was 10.49 mg QE/g. Conclusion: The results indicated that the ethanol extract of Peperomia pellucida leaves exhibited very strong antioxidant activity. Keywords: antioxidants, DPPH, phenolic, flavonoids, suruhan Plants