SENYAWA PENYEBAB GATAL PADA TUMBUHAN SUKU ARACEAE DAN KAJIAN KHUSUS PADA DAUN TALAS COLOCASIA ESCULENTA (L.) SCHOTT) DAN DAUN TALAS PADANG (COLOCASIA GIGANTEA (BL.) SCHOTT)

• Main Author: Shaquina Arlan, Viandita
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/64128
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Most of the plants in the Araceae family contain calcium oxalate crystals. If it’s consumed or comes in contact with skin, it will cause irritation which leads to itching. Two species of Araceae are taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) and elephant’s ear (Colocasia gigantea (Bl.) Schott). So far, a lot of research have found that the cause of itchiness in taro leaves and elephant’s ear leaves is calcium oxalate crystals. However, research has shown that the reason why consuming or touching taro leaves and elephant’s ear leaves make people feel itchy is not calcium oxalate crystals, but amino acid. This study aimed to confirm the findings. The literature review was carried out by searching literature about the compounds in the plants of the Araceae family which can cause itching. The search was conducted on PubMed and ScienceDirect websites using (araceae irritation) OR (araceae itch) OR (araceae acridity) keywords. It was found that 106 species of the Araceae family contain needleshaped calcium oxalate crystals called raphides and they’re the cause of itchiness. The laboratory procedure consisted of preparation of tools and materials, extraction, acidification, fractionation, and amino acid analysis using thin-layer chromatography (TLC). In this study, the findings couldn’t be confirmed because the spots that indicate the presence of amino acid were inconsistent and they didn’t form a pattern that could be analyzed.