Effect of extraction time and temperature on total flavonoids and coumarins content of Petai Belalang (Leucaena leucocephala) seeds Available to Purchase

Recently, much attention has been drawn towards flavonoids and coumarins as they demonstrate numerous pharmacological properties which have potential to be commercialized as medicines or supplements. Studies have found out that Leucaena leucocephala (L.leucocephala) plant possesses good natural antioxidant and antibacterial sources particularly flavonoids and coumarins that could serve as free radical inhibitors or scavengers. However, the isolation of antioxidants from this plant is often limited by the lignocellulosic components, mainly lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose found in the plant cell wall. The high durability of lignin in both physical and chemical environments has regarded as one of the most non-degradable compounds in nature. Hence, this study is to focus on the proper extraction technique of the phytochemicals to enhance the yield of the desired extracts. An investigation into the effect of time (0 – 48 min, at 12 min interval) and temperature (30 – 70 °C, at 10 °C interval) on the extraction of flavonoids and coumarins from L.leucocephala using microwave assisted hydro-distillation (MAHD) were performed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Total flavonoid content (TFC) and total coumarin content (TCC) were used for determination of flavonoids and coumarins in the extracts. Experimental results show that highest TFC and TCC were observed at 60 °C in 36 min of extraction. The best conditions were performed using two-way ANOVA revealed that the optimum conditions were the extraction conducted at 60 °C in 12 min with significance different in average TFC and TCC values by both parameters with the p values of p<0.05. TFC and TCC were significantly correlated with time and temperature of the extraction. This finding suggests that the extraction by MAHD only require short period of time to achieve optimum flavonoids and coumarins.