The Effect of Variations in Solvent Type on the Yield and TLC Profile of Flavonoid in Cosmos caudatus Leaf Extract

Abstract

Flavonoids are a group of polyphenols compounds that act as antioxidants. Cosmos caudatus leaves are thought to contain flavonoid compounds. Extraction of active compounds in plants can be influenced by the choice of solvent during the extraction process. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference between extraction with ethanol and methanol solvents in Cosmos caudatus leaves, and to test the presence of flavonoids in the extract using TLC. The extraction method used was maceration, with each extraction repeated twice with each solvent. The extraction ability of the two solvents is indicated by the extract yield value. The presence of flavonoids is indicated by an Rf value between 0.2 and 0.75. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the extract yield value of the two solvents, with a significance value of 0.5896. Therefore, both solvents are equally strong in extracting natural ingredients. However, both extraction results could not be confirmed as containing flavonoid compounds. This was because the difference in the Rf value of the sample and the Rf of the reference sample was greater than 0.05, thus the results were declared negative for flavonoids. This study demonstrates the importance of eluent selection in TLC testing. For flavonoid testing, the combination of chloroform and ethyl acetate should not be used.