Determination of Antioxidant Activity and Organoleptic Score of Kencur (Kaempferia galanga) Fortified Bread

Abstract

Kencur (Kaempferia galanga), or aromatic ginger, is usually used as a spice, especially in the Southeast Asia region. In Indonesia, the use of Kencur is climbing in the form of drinks and food, which is believed to promote health. Its active chemical constituent, particularly ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, plays an important role as an antioxidant for inflammation and as a traditional medicine to cure metabolic disorders, urinary tract infections, cardiovascular disorders, skin diseases, and many more. This research aims to study kencur fortified bread to enhance the antioxidant content of plain bread, along with its organoleptic test. Dried powdered kencur is macerated in 96% ethanol solvent and concentrated by a vacuum rotary evaporator. DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhydrazil) method is applied to measure antioxidant activity in kencur extract using Rigol U3000 UV/Vis spectrophotometer. The results showed that plain bread has IC 50 288.56 ppm (very weak), 4% kencur bread has IC50 163.10 ppm (weak), 6% kencur bread has IC50 39.86 ppm (very strong), and 8% kencur bread has IC50 36.41 ppm (very strong). The organoleptic test for volunteers is conducted in several categories, including flavor, taste, and texture. The result showed that 6% kencur bread is preferred for flavor and taste, and 4% kencur bread is preferred for the texture of the bread. The research concludes that kencur fortified bread can still be preferred, which is enhanced for its antioxidant content.

Keywords: kencur, antioxidant activity, DPPH, organoleptic