Comparison of maceration and infundation towards antioxidant capacity of leaves aqueous extracts of balik angin (Alphitonia incana (Roxb.) Teijsm. & Binn. ex Kurz)

Background: Excessive exposure to free radicals can trigger various degenerative diseases. Therefore, external antioxidants are needed from nature. One plant with the potential as a natural antioxidant is Balik Angin (Alphitonia incana (Roxb.) Teijsm. & Binn. Ex Kurz). Objective: This study aimed to determine the differences in the content of secondary metabolites and the antioxidant capacity of the aqueous extract of balik angin leaves from two different extractions. Method: The extraction methods were maceration and infundation, followed by phytochemical screening to identify secondary metabolites. The antioxidant activity assay was carried out by UV-Vis spectrophotometry by measuring the absorbance of the sample reaction with CUPRAC and FRAP reagents. Result: The phytochemical screening results of balik angin leaves infusion contained phenols, flavonoids, saponins, triterpenoids, and tannins, while the macerated extract obtained triterpenoids and tannins negatively. The quantitative assay showed the balik angin leaves infusion resulted in a powerful antioxidant category with EC50 values of 17.762 µg/mL and highly antioxidant content, which was 726 mg AAE/g extract compared to macerated aqueous extract antioxidant capacity with EC50 values of 44.719 µg/mL and 635 mg AAE/g extract antioxidant content. Conclusion: The infused aqueous extract of balik angin leaves has the potential to be a powerful antioxidant compared to the maceration product.