Toxicity test, antioxidant activity test and GC-MS profile of the active fraction of Coptosapelta tomentosa (Blume) root (Merung)

Abstract

Merung (Coptosapelta tomentosa (Blume)) is one of the plants of the genus Coptosapelta, commonly found in the forests of Borneo. People in Kalimantan, especially in East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan, use the extract of merung root as traditional medicine for aphrodisiacs, blood clots (menstruation), inflammatory or swollen pain, rheumatism, and diarrhea. This study aims to determine the toxicity with the brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT) method and antioxidant activity with the DPPH radical scavenging method of crude extracts and their fractions from merung roots and to determine the chemical content of the most active fractions using GC-MS. Based on the results of the toxicity test and antioxidant activity test showed that the ethyl acetate fraction was the most active extract compared to the others with LC50 and IC50 values of 123.83 µg/mL and 31.160 µg/mL, respectively. GC-MS spectrum analysis results of ethyl acetate fraction compared with the database obtained major compounds namely Ethanone, 1- (1,3,4,4a, 5,6,7-hexahydro-2,5,5-trimethyl-2H- 2,4a-ethanonaphthalen-8-ol) - (32.08%), Squalene (26%), Lupeol (24.94%), 7-Hexadecyn-1-ol (2.88%), 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (Z) - (1.24%), 9,10-Anthracenedione, 1-hydroxy-2- (hydroxymethyl) - (1.23%), and 4-isoquinoline, 3-ethoxy- (1.14%). 9,10-Anthracenedione, 1-hydroxy-2- (hydroxymethyl)- and 4-isoquinoline, 3-ethoxy- potentially as antioxidants. There are also several other minor aromatic (phenolic) compounds which can have antioxidant potential.