PENGHAMBATAN AKTIVITAS XANTHINE OXIDASE OLEH EKSTRAK ETANOL SARANG SEMUT (Myrmecodia tuberosa (non Jack) Bl.) SECARA IN VITRO

Abstract

Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism that can settle in the joints and form small
crystals, causing inflammation known as gout. Gout is a disease caused by high levels of uric acid in
the blood (hyperuricemia). One of the drugs used to treat gout was allopurinol to inhibite the activity
of xanthine oxidase mechanism. Myrmecodia tuberosa (non Jack) Bl. known to contain flavonoids and
empirically proven to treat rheumatic complaints and gout. Therefore, research needs to examine
whether the ethanol extract of the sarang semut to inhibite xanthine oxidase activity. Allopurinol is
used as a comparison. The active substances of the Myrmecodia tuberosa (non Jack) Bl. was extracted
with ethanol using maceration method after soaked with petroleum ether. The xanthine oxidase
inhibitor activity of the Myrmecodia tuberosa (non Jack) Bl production ethanol extract was
spectrophotometrically determined by monitoring the reducing of uric acid at a wavelength
(λ) 295 nm with xanthine as substrate. Rate values obtained subsequently used to calculate the value
of the activity. Then determined the concentration of the ethanol extract can inhibit the activity of
of xanthine oxidase by 50% (IC50). The results of the research showed that the ethanol extracts of
sarang semut inhibited xanthine oxidase activity with IC50 112.40 µg/ml, while allopurinol was
3.16 µg/ml.