Study on chemical composition and bioactivities of Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of crude ethanol, n-hexane, and ethyl acetate extracts from Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. Antioxidant capacity was assessed using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays, while antibacterial activity was determined via the agar well diffusion method. The ethyl acetate extract demonstrated significant antioxidant activity, with IC₅₀ values of 96.45 µg/mL and 58.36 µg/mL for DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. The highest antibacterial activity was observed against Aeromonas caviae, where the ethyl acetate extract produced the largest inhibition zone (25.76±0.26 mm) at a concentration of 128 µg/mL. Chemical analysis of the leaves and stems from the ethyl acetate extract of Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC led to the identification of three compounds: luteolin  (1), (+)-catechin (2), and  oleanolic acid (3), confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and comparison with existing literature. These findings suggest that Blumea balsamifera is a promising medicinal plant with good biological activities.