Increased Benefits of Calamus manan Miq. Fruit by Its Potential Bioactivity

Abstract

Rattan manau (Calamus manan Miq.) is one of some commercial rattan species that grow in East Kalimantan forests. Its fruit is edible, similarly to some other species’ fruits, and the local community traditionally uses it as medicine for stomach and toothache. There has not been any research related to investigating its fruit’s benefits for medical purposes or others. This study aims to determine the potential of bioactivity in Calamus manan Miq’s fruit, including some of its properties, such as phytochemical content, antioxidant, toxicity, and antibacterial activity. Parts of fruit, pericarp, flesh and seed were examined by using ethanol as a solvent. The study results show that the pericarp and seed have higher antioxidant activity than fruit flesh where the seed has an IC50 value of 25,04 ppm, the pericarp of 41,17 ppm and fruit flesh of 170,19 ppm. The examination result of toxicity properties using the BSLT (Brine Shrimp Lethality Test) test shows the fruit of rattan manau is not toxic. Examination on antibacterial activity for two types of bacteria showed that pericarp and seeds have antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, rated as an intense level. In contrast, for Streptococcus mutans it is rated as a weak category.