DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v25i5.239

Keywords: Elephant ginger essential oil; antioxidant; sunscreen cream

Abstract

One of the plants that produces abundant essential oil is elephant ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe). Elephant ginger essential oil has a variety of benefits that have the potential to be developed. Based on the structure of its constituent components, it has the potential as an antioxidant and sunscreen so it can be applied as a sunscreen cream. Research related to elephant ginger essential oil as a sunscreen cream preparation has never been done. The study aims to isolate the elephant ginger essential oil, characterize physical properties, identify components, antioxidant activity, sunscreen activity, and formulate it in the form of sunscreen cream. This research was done in an experimental laboratory through six stages, namely: 1) isolation of elephant ginger essential oil, 2) characterization of its physical properties, 3) identification of its components, 4) antioxidant activity using DPPH method, 5) sunscreen activity using spectrophotometry method, and 6) formulation and evaluation of sunscreen cream contain elephant ginger essential oil. Isolation of elephant ginger essential oil obtained with a yield of 0.08%. This oil color is yellow, liquid, with ginger odor, density is 0.897 g.cm-3, boiling point is 119°C, refractive index is 1.492 (25 °C), and specific rotation is +2.48° dm-1.g-1.mL. The major components of elephant ginger essential oil are geranial (35.74%), neral (23.81%), eucalyptol (12.88%), camphene (5.78%), zingiberene (2.36%), and α-farnesene (2.01%). The antioxidant activity of elephant ginger essential oil has an IC50 value of 1071.018 μg.mL-1 with a weak category. The sunscreen activity of elephant ginger essential oil has SPF 8.5090 with a maximum protection category. The stability of the sunscreen cream formulation of elephant ginger essential oil is 150 minutes until the active ingredient runs out for both formulas but has not met the minimum requirements based on its SPF value.