Perbandingan Aktivitas Antibakteri Ekstrak Benalu Teh terhadap Staphylococcus aureus dan Escherichia coli"

Abstract

Indonesia is known for its very high level of biodiversity, including various types of traditional medicinal plants that have been used for generations. One such plant is tea mistletoe (Scurrula atropurpurea), which contains various secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins that potentially possess antibacterial activity. This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of tea mistletoe extract (Scurrula atropurpurea) against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria) in vitro.The research was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatment concentration levels (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%), along with positive control (chloramphenicol) and negative control (distilled water). The antibacterial test was carried out using the well diffusion method on Muller Hinton Agar and Broth media.The results showed that the tea mistletoe extract (Scurrula atropurpurea) was able to significantly inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, especially at the 100% concentration with an average inhibition zone of 15.11 mm, which is classified as strong. Meanwhile, against Escherichia coli, the extract exhibited lower antibacterial activity, with the largest inhibition zone of 5.7 mm at 100% concentration.This antibacterial effectiveness is suspected to originate from flavonoid content, which damages bacterial cell membranes, as well as alkaloids and tannins that disrupt metabolism and the structure of the cell wall. These results indicate that tea mistletoe extract (Scurrula atropurpurea) has potential as a natural antibacterial agent, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria.

Keywords: Scurrula atropurpurea, antibacterial, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, flavonoids

ABSTRAK

Indonesia dikenal memiliki tingkat keanekaragaman hayati yang sangat tinggi, termasuk berbagai jenis tanaman obat tradisional yang telah dimanfaatkan secara turun-temurun. Salah satu tanaman tersebut adalah benalu teh (Scurrula atropurpurea), yang mengandung berbagai senyawa metabolit sekunder seperti flavonoid, alkaloid, dan tanin, yang berpotensi memiliki aktivitas antibakteri. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi aktivitas antibakteri dari ekstrak benalu teh (Scurrula atropurpurea) terhadap Staphylococcus aureus (bakteri Gram positif) dan Escherichia coli (bakteri Gram negatif) secara in vitro. Penelitian dilakukan menggunakan metode Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) dengan empat tingkat konsentrasi perlakuan (25%, 50%, 75%, dan 100%), serta disertai kontrol positif (kloramfenikol) dan kontrol negatif (aquadest). Uji antibakteri dilakukan dengan metode difusi sumuran menggunakan media Muller Hinton Agar dan Broth. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ekstrak benalu teh (Scurrula atropurpurea) mampu menghambat pertumbuhan Staphylococcus aureus secara signifikan, terutama pada konsentrasi 100% dengan rata-rata zona hambat 15,11 mm, yang tergolong kuat. Sementara terhadap Escherichia coli, ekstrak menunjukkan aktivitas antibakteri lebih rendah, dengan zona hambat terbesar sebesar 5,7 mm pada konsentrasi 100%. Efektivitas antibakteri ini diduga berasal dari kandungan flavonoid yang merusak membran sel bakteri, serta alkaloid dan tanin yang mengganggu metabolisme dan struktur dinding sel. Hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa ekstrak benalu teh (Scurrula atropurpurea) berpotensi sebagai agen antibakteri alami, khususnya terhadap bakteri gram positif.

    Kata kunci: Scurrula atropurpurea, antibakteri, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, flavonoid