Evaluation of Phytochemical Screening and The Biological Properties of Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Smith Extract for Development of Anti-itching Balm Product
Keywords:
Etlingera elatior, phytochemicals, bioactivity, itch, balmAbstract
This research aims to study the preliminary phytochemical constituents, antioxidant activity, and protease inhibitory activity of crude extracts from four parts of Etlingera elatior (torch ginger), including roots, rhizomes, leaves, and flowers. The extraction was performed using 95% ethanol as the solvent. The study revealed that crude extracts from all four parts of E. elatior contained eight groups of phytochemicals: alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, tannins, saponins, and steroids, except anthraquinones. The ethanol crude extract from the rhizomes of E. elatior exhibited the highest total phenolic content (24.30±0.09 mgGAE.g-1), while the ethanol crude extract from the leaves had the highest total flavonoid content (28.05±0.94 mgQE.g-1). Antioxidant activity testing revealed that the ethanol crude extract from the flowers demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity using the DPPH scavenging assay (IC50=90.67 µg/mL). The ethanol crude extract from the leaves of E. elatior exhibited the highest antioxidant activity using both the ABTS scavenging assay (IC50=135.03 µg/mL) and the nitric oxide scavenging assay (IC50=1.98 µg/mL). In the evaluation of protease inhibitory activity using the proteinase inhibitory assay, the ethanol crude extract from the flowers showed the highest inhibitory effect (IC50=118.75 µg/mL), followed by the ethanol crude extract from the leaves (IC50=311.43 µg/mL). This study indicates that the ethanolic extract of torch ginger contains various phytochemicals, including antioxidants and protease inhibitors, making it applicable for use in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Based on the findings, the extract from torch ginger leaves was selected for the development of a prototype balm product, as torch ginger leaves are a readily available raw material throughout the year. The leaf extract is incorporated into an anti-itch balm formulation, which includes key ingredients such as Vaseline, jojoba oil, beeswax, menthol, ethanolic crude extract from torch ginger leaves, and colorants. Additionally, the stability of the product is tested to evaluate its efficacy and stability for practical use.
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