Benzena Pharmaceutical Scientific Journal
Vol 5 No 01 (2026): BENZENA PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL

Solvent Variation Effects on Secondary Metabolites Content of Suruhan Herbs and Antioxidant Activity Using DPPH Method

Indira Esterina Putri (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Nasional)
Muhammad Sa'ad (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Nasional)
Retnowati Adiningsih (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Nasional)



Article Info

Publish Date
29 Jul 2026

Abstract

Background: Suruhan herb (Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth) had great potential as a natural antioxidant source due to its secondary metabolite content. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of solvent polarity (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and distilled water) on the secondary metabolite profiles and antioxidant activity of suruhan herb extracts using the DPPH method. Method: Samples were extracted via maceration at a 1:10 ratio. Ethyl acetate and n-hexane extracts were concentrated using a rotary evaporator, while the distilled water extract was dried using a freeze dryer. Results: Phytochemical screening showed that all extracts contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and phenols. N-hexane and ethyl acetate extracts contained steroids/terpenoids and essential oils, while the distilled water extract contained saponins. One-way ANOVA showed highly significant differences in antioxidant activity. All extracts were categorized as very strong, with the lowest IC50 produced by ethyl acetate (29.37 µg/mL), followed by n-hexane (30.60 µg/mL) and distilled water (30.91 µg/mL). For comparison, Vitamin C had an IC50 of 4.08 µg/mL. Conclusion: Solvent polarity directly influenced the secondary metabolite profiles and antioxidant activity of the extracts. All variations exhibited very strong antioxidant activity (IC50 < 50 µg/mL), with statistically significant differences among the groups and the positive control. Each solvent yielded a significantly different antioxidant potency, ranking: ethyl acetate, n-hexane, and distilled water. Statistical analysis confirmed that ethyl acetate was the most effective solvent for extracting antioxidant compounds.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

benzena

Publisher

Subject

Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Immunology & microbiology Medicine & Pharmacology Public Health

Description

Benzena Pharmaceutical Scientific Journal adalah jurnal peer-review yang diterbitkan dua kali setahun (Juni dan Desember) oleh Fakultas Farmasi Universitas Pekalongan. Ini tersedia online sebagai sumber akses terbuka dan juga dalam bentuk cetak. Pernyataan ini memperjelas perilaku etis semua pihak ...