OPTIMISED EXTRACTION AND ANTIOXIDANT PROFILING OF IXORA JAVANICA VIA SPECTROSCOPY AND GC–MS
Keywords:
Antioxidants, phytochemicals, bioactive compounds, extraction, medicinal plants.Abstract
Oxidative stress occurs when the human body produces free radicals, which can lead to disease. Consequently, there is interest in finding natural antioxidants from medicinal plants. Ixora javanica (commonly known as Bunga Jenjarum in Southeast Asia) has a traditional history of use for treating fever, infections, and inflammations; however, its antioxidant properties remain underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activity of extracts from Ixora javanica flowers prepared with methanol, a methanol: acetone mixture, hexane, and a hexane: ethyl acetate mixture. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays, Total Phenolic Content (TPC), and Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) using a 96-well plate. The methanol: acetone mixture contributed the best solvent system activity, as evidenced by the lowest IC₅₀ value of 48.73 µg/mL, and methanol was the second-best solvent system with an IC₅₀ value of 50.21 µg/mL, while non-polar solvent systems exhibited weak effects. The antioxidant assay indicates that the methanol: acetone mixture as a solvent revealed the presence of flavonoid and phenolic compounds in Ixora javanica. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis determined the functional groups, such as hydroxyl, O–H (~3282 cm⁻¹) and carbonyl, C–O (~1070 cm⁻¹), indicating that Ixora javanica possesses bioactive compounds. Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis identified 19 phytochemical constituents, including 2-butoxyethanol and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, which may contribute to the overall antioxidant activity of Ixora javanica. The observations suggest that the bioactive compounds and antioxidants of Ixora javanica have significant phytochemicals for the functional foods, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceutical industries, and that these need to be consistently validated in traditional uses.
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