Determination of Sungkai Leaf (<i>Peronema canescens Jack</i>) As a Natural Antioxidant Using Different Polarities Solvents

Abstract The traditional medicinal herb sungkai has several bioactive chemicals in its leaves that give it medicinal properties. This research aimed to examine the antioxidant activity and phytochemical components of sungkai ( Peronema canescens Jack) leaf extracts in various polarity solvents. The phytochemicals were extracted, and their antioxidant capabilities were assessed using solvents with varying polarity, such as water, ethanol, and n-hexane. The radical scavenging test known as DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) was used to measure the antioxidant capability of each extract. A descriptive analysis of the data regarding phytochemical components and antioxidant activity was performed. In contrast to the n-hexane solvent, which solely contained steroids, the water and ethanol solvents demonstrated the presence of flavonoids, phenol, and steroids. With a phenolic concentration of 40.03 mg GAE/g, the ethanol extract also included higher flavonoids and total phenolics than the water extract. The ethanol extract exhibited the most potent radical scavenging activity among the solvents studied, falling into the category of very active antioxidants, with an IC50 value of 26.24. Finally, the antioxidants in the sungkai leaf were best extracted using ethanol.