Jurnal Biologi Tropis
Vol. 26 No. 2 (2026): April - Juni

Phytochemical Profiling of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) Seeds: A Qualitative Screening Approach

Bahri, Syamsul (Unknown)
Merta, I Wayan (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
12 Jun 2026

Abstract

Nutmeg is a warm, aromatic spice derived from the seed of the Myristica fragrans evergreen tree, native to Indonesia's Banda Islands. It features a rich, slightly sweet flavor with hints of clove and pepper, commonly used in both baked goods and savory dishes. This study aims to profile secondary metabolites of ethanolic extracts of nutmeg seeds. Dried seeds of the nutmeg were extracted using 96% ethanol, and the resulting extract was subjected to standard phytochemical screening tests to identify major secondary metabolites. The results revealed a strong presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, indicating that these compounds are dominant constituents in the ethanolic extract. In addition, tannins and phenolic compounds were detected in smaller amounts. Conversely, saponins and steroids were undetectable in the extract. These findings indicate that ethanol is an effective solvent for extracting alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids from the seeds of the nutmeg, while its efficiency for terpenoids and saponins may be limited. The presence of these secondary metabolites supports the potential biological activity of the seeds of the nutmeg and provides a scientific basis for their further pharmacological and biological activity studies.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

JBT

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Immunology & microbiology

Description

Jurnal Biologi Tropis (ISSN Cetak 1411-9587 dan ISSN Online 2549-7863) diterbitkan mulai tahun 2000 dengan frekuensi 2 kali setahun oleh Program Studi Pendidikan Biologi PMIPA FKIP Universitas Mataram, berisi hasil penelitian dan ulasan Ilmiah dalam bidang Biologi ...