Effect of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 400 on Growth Rate and Biosyntesis of Asiaticosida in the Cultivation of Pegagan (Centella asiatica L.)

• Main Author: Azis, Abdul
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/41833
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Pegagan (Centella asiatica L.) has unique bioactive triterpene saponin components with various pharmacological effects, one of these components is asiaticoside. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a polymer with large molecular weight in the range of 300-6000 g/mol. PEG could cause the extracellular environment to become more concentrated, so the water from the plasma cell comes out and plant becoming dehydration. This result made PEG to be one of the common molecules used to create osmotic stress. Addition of PEG 400 to growing medium could lead osmotic stress which result in accumulation of asiaticoside in the pegagan. The purposes of this research was to determine the growth rate and accumulation of asiaticoside in pegagan which were given PEG 400 elicitor at various concentrations. Cultivation was carried out in a hydroponic system in containers 5 cm in diameter and 7 cm in height fullfilled with Hoagland’s 1/10 strenght medium for 30 days. 6, 12 and 24 ppm of PEG 400 added to cultivation medium. The logistic growth mathematical model was used to make the growth curve, while the heat reflux extraction method was used to obtain the asiaticoside extract and the method of analyzing the composition of asiaticoside was carried out by using spectrophotometry with 277 nm of wavelength. The result indicated that highest specific growth rate of pegagan was 0,4956 day -1 achieved by variation of PEG 400 6 ppm 1, while the highest asaticoside composition was 1,34% w/w achieved by PEG 400 12 ppm.