Secondary Metabolite Content and Antioxidant Activity of Basil Stems (Ocimum basilicum Linn.)

Kandungan Metabolit Sekunder dan Aktivitas Antioksidan Batang Tanaman Selasih Ungu (Ocimum basilicum Linn.)

Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum Linn.) is one of the endemic plants in West Kalimantan known for its antioxidant activity. While some studies have focused on the chemical constituents and bioactivities of basil plants, particularly the leaves, scientific information on the stems of this plant remains underexplored. This study aimed to identify secondary metabolites through phytochemical assays and determine antioxidant activity using the DPPH method on crude methanol extract and fractions of basil stems. The results showed that the crude methanol extract and all fractions contained alkaloids and tannins. Additionally, the crude methanol extract also contained flavonoids and phenolics, while the dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol fractions contained flavonoids and phenolic compounds, respectively. The antioxidant activity (IC₅₀) values of crude methanol extract, and fractions of n-hexane, DCM, and methanol were 65.52 ppm, 98.11 ppm, 2.89 ppm, and 67.11 ppm, respectively, while ascorbic acid showed an IC₅₀ value of 11.75 ppm. Based on these results, it is concluded that the DCM fraction exhibits stronger antioxidant activity than ascorbic acid.