The Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Activity of Ethanol Extract Yacon Tubers (Smallanthus sonchifolius)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29313/bcsms.v5i3.21660Keywords:
Antioxidant activity, Phytochemical screening, Smallanthus sonchifoliusAbstract
Abstract. The tubers of Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) are regarded as a functional food due to their biologically active components, which may confer physiological benefits beyond basic nutritional functions, potentially reducing the risk of chronic diseases. This study aimed to conduct a phytochemical screening of the ethanol extract of S. sonchifolius tubers sourced from the Monoko plantation field in Lembang, West Java, Indonesia, and to evaluate its antioxidant activity. This research method is to determine the qualitative presence of active compounds, a phytochemical analysis was performed, focusing on alkaloids, polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, and terpenoids. The antioxidant properties were evaluated using DPPH as a reagent, with the findings reported as the percentage of inhibition concentration (%IC50). Results: The ethanol extract of Smallanthus sonchifolius from Lembang, West Java, contained polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, and terpenoids. In this study, these bioactive compounds were found to exhibit a very strong antioxidant effect, with an IC50 of 19.87 ppm. This potent antioxidant activity could be attributed to several factors, such as the sinergism effect among various bioactive compounds, the specific plant parts used, or the extraction method and solvent employed. Additionally, given the numerous promising health benefits, further development of Yacon tuber extracts could potentially offer a potential antioxidant effects that may help lower the risk of chronic diseases and enhance human health in the future.
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