Determination of Total Flavonoid Levels and Cholesterol Reduction Activity Test of Saffron (Crocus sativus) Ethanol Extract Fraction : In Vitro Study

Abstract

Saffron is one of the herbal plants that has an important role in the medical. Saffron contains
flavonoid compounds that have cholesterol reduction activity. This study aims to determine the highest
concentration that provides the greatest reduction in cholesterol levels from the saffron ethanol extract fraction
in vitro and to determine the differences in total flavonoid levels and cholesterol reduction activity of the saffron
ethanol extract fraction in vitro. The extraction method used is remaceration using 50% ethanol as solvent.
Fractionation by preparative thin layer chromatography method using mobile phase ethyl acetate : isopropyl
alcohol : aquadest (65:25:10). Test of total flavonoid levels using AlCl3 colorimetric method and cholesterol
lowering activity test using the Liebermann-Burchard method. The saffron ethanol extract fraction had a total
flavonoid content of 3.8518 ± 0.43; 6.0802 ± 0.18; 6.2040 ± 0.17 and 7.2282 ± 0.07 mgEQ/g. Cholesterol
reduction results showed a concentration of 700 ppm in fraction 5 of saffron ethanol extract with an average
percent reduction in cholesterol of 58.01%. The statistical results of the saffron ethanol extract fraction had a
significance value of <0.05, indicating that there was an effect of differences in total flavonoid levels and an
effect on cholesterol reduction activity.

Keywords: Cholesterol, Liebermann-Burchard, Saffron (Crocus sativus), Flavonoid Levels, TLCP