Antioxidant and Phytochemical Profile of Different Varieties of Mother-In-Law’s Tongue (Dracaena trifasciata (Prain) Mabb.)

Dracaena trifasciata commonly called mother-in-law’s tongue is widely cultivated plant in Indonesia and has been traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant activity and phytochemical profile of ethanol extracts of four different varieties of Dracaena trifasciata. Four varieties of D. trifasciata leaves, including gold flame, moonshine Brazilian, banded nelsoni, and mediocipta cobra varieties were extracted by refluxing with 96% and 70% ethanol. Phytochemical constituents of the leaves were determined according to standard procedures. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH), Cupric Ion Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC), and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of the extracts were determined using colorimetric methods. Flavonoid compounds in selected extracts were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Among the four varieties, D. trifasciata var. mediopicta cobra extract had the highest antioxidant activity. The 96% ethanol extract of D. trifasciata var. moonshine Brazilian exhibited the highest TPC (138.534 ± 5.217 mg GAE/g), while the highest TFC (368.957 ± 19.461 mg QE/g) was found in the 96% ethanol extract of D. trifasciata var. gold flame. The TPC and TFC were strongly correlated with the antioxidant activity. Rutin and kaempferol were found in varying concentrations in the 96% and 70% ethanol extracts of D. trifasciata var. mediopicta cobra leaves. These findings suggest that all four varieties of D. trifasciata are potential sources of natural antioxidants.