Extracting Hydroxychavicol and Evaluating the Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties of Betel Leaf Extract (Piper Betle L.)

Abstract

This study aimed to extract hydroxychavicol from betel leaf (Piper Betle L.) and assess its antibacterial and antifungal properties. The Soxhlet extraction method was used to obtain the extract, which was then isolated using column chromatography with silica gel. This process resulted in hydroxychavicol-enriched fractions with a purity of 74.94 %. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the betel leaf extract were tested on several strains: Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Candida albicans, and Malassezia furfur, using the agar well diffusion method. At 20 mg/mL, S. mutans and S. mitis had inhibitory rings of 16.12 ± 1.27 mm and 21.87 ± 1.64 mm. The extract (50 mg/mL) produced a zone diameter of 15.67 ± 0.94 mm against Candida albicans. M. furfur was inhibited at an extraction (20 mg/mL), resulting in an inhibitory ring diameter of 21.63 ± 0.79 mm. Based on these results, Piper betel leaves have potential as sources of antibacterial and antifungal agents for scalp and oral care products.