J. Pharm. Pharmacogn. Res., vol. 14, no. 5, Article ID 2584, Sep-Oct 2026.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56499/jppres_14.5.2584

Original Article

Optimization of Cyperus rotundus L. essential oil extraction and its in vitro α-glucosidase and anti-inflammatory activities

[Optimización de la extracción del aceite esencial de Cyperus rotundus L. y sus actividades contra α-glucosidasa y antiinflamatorias in vitro]

Masfria¹^*, Hafid Syahputra², Julia Reveny³, Marianne⁴, Muhammad T. B. Bakhtiar⁵, Harun Akbar⁶, Fito H.H. Silalahi⁶, Hilmy H. Gea⁶

¹Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan 20155, Indonesia.

²Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya, South Sumatra 30662, Indonesia.

³Department of Pharmaceutical Formulation Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan 20155, Indonesia.

⁴Department of Pharmaceutical Clinical and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan 20155, Indonesia.

⁵Department of Pharmaceutical Formulation Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Islam Internasional Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.

⁶Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan 20155, Indonesia.

*E-mail: masfria@usu.ac.id

Abstract

Context: Cyperus rotundus L. tubers contain essential oils with reported α-glucosidase inhibitory and anti-inflammatory activities.

Aims: This study optimized the extraction of essential oil from C. rotundus tubers and evaluated the in vitro inhibitory activities of the resulting oil.

Methods: Essential oil was extracted using microwave-assisted hydrodistillation in a Stahl apparatus. A Box–Behnken design with three variables—microwave power, solvent-to-material ratio, and extraction time—was applied within the response surface methodology framework. The responses included essential oil yield, total phenolic content, and total terpenoid content. The optimized oil was characterized by GC–MS and evaluated in vitro using α-glucosidase inhibition and protein-denaturation inhibition assays.

Results: The optimal extraction conditions were 600 W microwave power, a 1:7 g/mL solvent-to-material ratio, and 47.41 min extraction time. The optimized oil inhibited α-glucosidase with an IC₅₀ of 171.89 ± 0.0087 µg/mL, compared with 277.57 ± 0.0059 µg/mL for acarbose under the same assay conditions. Protein-denaturation inhibition was moderate, with an IC₅₀ of 109.19 ± 0.43 µg/mL, compared with 9.14 ± 0.06 µg/mL for sodium diclofenac.

Conclusions: The optimized essential oil demonstrated preliminary in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory and moderate protein-denaturation inhibitory activities. These findings represent screening-level evidence. Further chemical characterization, mechanistic assays, safety evaluation, and in vivo studies are required before any therapeutic or disease-management relevance can be concluded.

Keywords: alpha-glucosidases; anti-inflammatory agents; distillation; essential oils; plant extracts; terpenes.

Resumen

Contexto: Los tubérculos de Cyperus rotundus L. contienen aceites esenciales con actividad inhibidora de la α-glucosidasa y de la desnaturalización de proteínas.

Objetivos: Este estudio optimizó la extracción del aceite esencial de los tubérculos de C. rotundus y evaluó su actividad inhibidora in vitro.

Métodos: El aceite esencial se extrajo mediante hidrodestilación asistida por microondas en un aparato Stahl. Se aplicó un diseño Box–Behnken con tres variables —potencia de microondas, relación solvente-material y tiempo de extracción— mediante la metodología de superficie de respuesta. Las respuestas fueron rendimiento, contenido fenólico y terpenoide. El aceite optimizado fue caracterizado mediante CG-EM y evaluado mediante ensayos de inhibición de la α-glucosidasa y de desnaturalización de proteínas.

Resultados: Las condiciones óptimas fueron 600 W de potencia, una relación solvente-material de 7:1 y 47,41 minutos de extracción. El extracto optimizado exhibió actividad inhibidora de la α-glucosidasa con IC₅₀ de 171,89 ± 0,0087 µg/mL, inferior al de la acarbosa en las condiciones del ensayo (IC50 de 277,57 ± 0,0059 µg/mL). La inhibición de la desnaturalización de proteínas arrojó una IC₅₀ de 109,19 ± 0,43 µg/mL, frente a la del diclofenaco sódico (IC₅₀ de 9,14 ± 0,06 µg/mL). El CG-EM identificó constituyentes volátiles como α-pineno, β-pineno, cariofileno y D-limoneno.

Conclusiones: El aceite esencial optimizado demostró actividad inhibidora preliminar frente a la α-glucosidasa in vitro y actividad inhibidora moderada frente a la desnaturalización de proteínas. Estos hallazgos constituyen evidencia a nivel de tamizaje; se requieren estudios adicionales de caracterización química, ensayos mecanísticos, evaluación de la seguridad e investigaciones in vivo para determinar su relevancia terapéutica.

Palabras Clave: aceites esenciales; agentes antiinflamatorios; alfa-glucosidasas; destilación; extractos de plantas; terpenos.

https://jppres.com/jppres/pdf/vol14/jppres_14.5.2584.pdf

Citation Format: Masfria, Syahputra H, Reveny J, Marianne, Bakhtiar MTB, Akbar H, Silalahi FHH, Gea HH (2026) Optimization of Cyperus rotundus L. essential oil extraction and its in vitro α-glucosidase and anti-inflammatory activities. J Pharm Pharmacogn Res 14(5): 2584. https://doi.org/10.56499/jppres_14.5.2584

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