THE ANALYSIS OF CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF Lansium domesticum cortex, FROM PALU-CENTRAL SULAWESI

THE ANALYSIS OF CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF

  Lansium domesticum cortex , FROM PALU-CENTRAL SULAWESI

  

Awal P, Nita Supriyati

Medicinal Plant and Traditional Medicine Research Center

National Institute Health Research and Development

  

Ministry of Health

e-mail: ppi.b2p2to2t@gmail.com

Abstract

Lansium domesticum cortex was empirically used by people on the Pakuli region of Palu to reduced pain on malaria treatment.

  

The analysis of chemicals and physical properties Lansium domesticum cortex has been conducted. The aim of this research was

to analyze chemicals and physical properties of Lansium domesticum cortex. The physical properties were rendement, water

soluble compound content, water in-soluble compound content, total ash content, acid in-soluble ash content. The chemicals

properties comprised chemical analysis of the constituent of Lansium domesticum cortex. Based on this study, we found that

Lansium domesticum cortex contains saponin, flavonoide, tannin and antraquinone. The extract rendement by 70% alcohol was

17,33 + 0,63%, water soluble compound content was 20,42 + 0,08%, water in-soluble compound content was 13,16 + 0,09%,

total ash content was 1,85+ 0,20% and acid in-soluble ash content was 0,76 + 0,23% respectively.

  Key words: Lansium domesticum cortex, chemicals, physical properties

  INTRODUCTION

  Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite that is transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Around half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria and there were around 240 million cases in 2008 (Dharani, 2010). Malaria is becoming more resistant to a number of current drugs and is on the increase because of the global warming process (Martin and Lefebvre, 1995). Thus, many communities who live in endemic areas, have started to look for malaria remedies from plants in their local environments (Miliken, 1997).

  One of the effort to find malaria remedies is discovering new antimalaria drugs, which could be started by looking for plants that are traditionally used as antimalarial herbs. The use of traditional medicine in Indonesia is part of national culture and it have been used for decades (Anonymous, 2007).

  Lansium domesticum

  is a higher tree, commonly called “kokosan’’ in Indonesia and widely distributed in Southeast Asian countries. Three varieties of L. domesticum that have been widely known namely duku, langsat and kokosan. Hence, for practical purpose, Maberley et al. (1995) suggested to write L.

  domesticum cv langsat or L. domesticum

  ‘langsat’ when referring to langsat variety. These three varieties are widely known to the local fruit market and can be distinguished mainly on the basis of their fruit morphology. Among of this varieties, langsat and kokosan are less preferable since it has a sour taste.

  

Lansium domesticum cortex (family Meliaceae) was empirically used by people on the Pakuli region of

  Palu Central Sulawesi to treat malaria. The folk boiled Lansium domesticum cortex with water to reduce pain and fever. The study of medicinal plants can be done by two ways: phytopharmacology and phytochemical screening approach (Fransworth, 1966). Phytopharmacology approach involves variety of pharmacological effects on animal model. Phytochemical screening approach involves the qualitative analysis of chemical constituents in plants (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds), especially the content of bioactive secondary metabolites, namely alkaloids, anthraquinones, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, coumarins, saponins (steroid and triterpenoid), tannin (polifenolat), essential oils (terpenoids), and iridoids. The aims of this study was to analyse the chemicals and physical properties of Lansium domesticum cortex which was used by people on the Pakuli region to treat malaria.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

  

Material. Lansium domesticum cortex, from Pakuli, Palu, Central Sulawesi, ethanol (Merck), HCl

  (Merck), H SO (Merck), NH (Merck), NaCl (Merck), chloroform (Merck), anhydrous Na SO (Merck), 2 4 3 2 4 Glacial acetic acid (Merck), Benzene (Merck), Mg metal (Reidel de Haen), Mayer's reagent, Wagner's reagent, Dragendorff reagent, AlCl 3 (Merck), FeCl 3 (Merck), Gelatin reagent, Acetone (Merck), n- Butanol (Merck), ethyl acetate (Merck).

  

Methods. This study is laboratory experimental analysis. The Lansium domesticum cortex was obtained

  from Pakuli traditional healers, Palu, Central Sulawesi. Analysis of material was done by observing several physics and chemistry parameters, including: rendement (70% alcohol), content of water-soluble extract, content of insoluble alcohol extract, total ash content, acid insoluble ash content, and phytochemical screening plants constituent by the spot test/color reaction (Santos, et al., 1978).

  RESULT AND DISCUSSION The results of physical parameters of Lansium domesticum cortex were shown in Table 1.

  Tabel 1. Physical parameters of Lansium domesticum cortex No. Physical parameters Result (%)

  1 Extract rendement 17,33 + 0,63 2 content of water-soluble extract 20,42 + 0,08 3 content of soluble-alcohol extract 13,16 + 0,09 4 total ash content 1,85 + 0,2 5 acid insoluble ash content 0,76 + 0,23

  Extract rendement content of water-soluble extract, content of soluble-alcohol extract were required to select the solvent extraction. Based on the Table 1, percentage of water-soluble was higher than alcohol- soluble content. This means the chemical constituent of Lansium domesticum cortex were more soluble in water than alcohol.

  Total ash content and acid-insoluble ash content represent internal and external mineral contents (Anonymous, 2000). On the determination of ash content, the material was heated in the furnace of 600 C temperature, so that the organic compounds and their derivatives melt, evaporated and leave the mineral elements and inorganic compounds (Anonymous, 2000). At the addition of diluted sulfuric acid, the residue were silica and sand which represent acid-insoluble content (Rao & Xiang, 2009). The ash content reflects the presence of environment contaminations such as soil and sand during the preparation of raw materials (Rao & Xiang, 2009). The result of phytochemistry screening was showed on Table 2.

  Table 2.

  The result of phytochemistry screening of Lansium domesticum cortex

  Chemical content Methodes Result conclusion Alkaloid Preliminary Mayer No change - Wagner No change - Dragendorf No change - Confirmation test of CHCL

3

fraction

  Mayer No change - Wagner No change - Dragendorf No change - Corfirmation test of Water fraction Mayer No change - Wagner No change - Dragendorf No change - Tannins/Polyphenolic + FeCl3 Blue-black precipitation +

  • Gelatin White precipition + Saponin

  Preliminary Froth test Froth formed +

  Confirmation Lieberman-Burchard Pink + Cardenolides/Bufadienolides Lieberman-Burchard test Brown + Keller killiani test purple +

  Kedde test green - Flavonoids Bate Smith-Metcalf test red + Willstater Cianidin test pink + Antraquinons Borntrager test red + Modified Borntrager test pink + information: (+) = present, (-) = absent

  

Alkaloid test. Positive results on the Mayer's test was characterized by the formation of white precipitate.

  The sediment was performed due to a potassium-alkaloid. In Mayer reagent, a solution of mercury (II) chloride with potassium iodide will react to form a precipitate of red mercury (II) iodide. If potassium iodide is added excessively, it generates potassium tetraiodomercurate (II) (Svehla, 1990). Alkaloids contain lone pair electron in the nitrogen atom which can be used to form coordinate covalent bonds with metal ions (McMurry, 2004). In the alkaloid test with Mayer's reagent, nitrogen in the alkaloid reacts with metal ions K

  • + of potassium tetraiodomercurate(II) to form precipitation of potassium-alkaloid complex. A hypothetic reaction in Mayer test was shown in Figure 1.

  Figure 1. Hypothetic reaction during Mayer test Positive results on the Wagner test was characterized by the formation of brown to yellow precipitate due to a potassium-alkaloid complex. In Wagner reagent, iodine reacts with the I

  • - ions of potassium iodide to
    • 3-

      form brown I ion. In the Wagner test, K metal ions form coordinate covalent bonds with nitrogen to generate precipitated complex potassium-alkaloid. Reactions that occur in test Wagner were showed in Figure 2.

      Figure 2. Hypothetic reaction during Wagner test + Positive results on the Dragendorff test marked by the formation of brown to yellow precipitate. In Dragendorff reagent, Bi3 ion from the bismuth nitrate reacts with potassium iodide to form a black precipitate Bismuth(III) iodide that dissolves in excess amount of potassium iodide to form potassium

    • + tetraiodobismutat (Svehla, 1990). In the alkaloid test with Dragendorff reagent, nitrogen (alkaloid compound) forms a coordinate covalent bond with the metal ion K to generate precipitate potasium alkaloid complex. Dragendorff hypothetic reactions were shown in Figure 3.

      Figure 3. Hypothetic reaction during Dragendorff test

      

    Tannin/Polyphenolic test. On tannin/polyphenolic test, tannin will precipitate gelatin to form solid

      copolymer which is not soluble in water (Harborne, 1996). This reaction is more sensitive to the addition of NaCl to enhance the salting of the tannin-gelatin.

      

    Saponin test. The foam formation in the forth test showed hydrolyzed glycosides which has ability to

      generate foam in water (Rusdi, 1990). In addition to forth test, Lieberman-Burchard test was also conducted to characterize unsaturated sterols and triterpenes (Santos et al., 1978).

      

    Cardenolide/bufadinolides test. Positive results in the Kiliani-Keller test indicates the presence of a

      deoxy sugar of glycosides (Santos et al., 1978). The red color is formed due complex formation. Oxygen 3+ atom with a lone pair electron on the sugar group can donate electrons to the Fe to form a complex compound. Keller Killiani hypothetic reaction shown on Figure 4.

      Figure 4. Hypothetic reaction during Keller Killiani test The presence of cardenolide/bufadinolide can be detected also by Lieberman-Burchard test. It is a characteristic test for unsaturated sterols and triterpenes (Santos et al., 1978). Kedde test was performed to indicate the presence of unsaturated lactones (Santos, 1978). Hypothetic reaction in Kedde test was shown in Figure 5.

      Figure 5. Hypothetic reaction during Kedde test

    Flavonoid test. Wilstater cyanidin test was performed to detect compounds with -benzopyron structure.

    Orange colour on the Mertcalf Bate-Smith test and red color on the Wilstater test were the result of flavilium salt formation (Achmad, 1986) as shown in figure 6.

      Red Flavilium salt

      Figure 6. Hypothetic reaction during Flavonoid test

      

    Antraquinone test. Brontrager test could not detect anthraquinone glycosides which are very stable or

      reduced forms of antranol derivatives. So, the test was modified by hydrolisis and oxidation of the sample prior to Brontrager test. Anthraquinones react with basic substances (-OH) to generate red, violet, green or purple characteristic color.

      CONCLUSION

      Based on this study, Lansium domesticum cortex were consisted of saponin, flavonoid, tannin and antraquinone. The extract rendement by 70% alcohol was 17,33 + 0,63%, water soluble compound content was 20,42 + 0,08%, water in-soluble compound content was 13,16 + 0,09%, total ash content was 1,85+ 0,20% and acid in-soluble ash content was 0,76 + 0,23%.

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