DIFFERENTIATION OF CHEMICAL PROFILES OF EURYCOMA LONGIFOLIA, POLYALTHIA BULLATA AND PRISMATOMERIS TETRANDRA USING 1D & 2D FTIR

Abstract

Tongkat Ali, or Eurycoma longifolia, is one of the valuable medicinal substances that is in high demand, not only in Malaysia, but from all over the world because of its benefits and uses. Based on its use in traditional Malay medicine, tongkat ali root can improve men’s vitality and health. Due to the benefits of its use in some biological activities such as antitumor, antimalarial, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, osteoprotective and ergogenic, the demand for the supply of tongkat ali raw materials has increased tremendously. There are several types of tongkat ali in the Malaysian market including tongkat ali kuning (E. longifolia), tongkat ali hitam (Polyalthia bullata) and tongkat ali merah (Prismatomeris tetrandra). However, information related to the chemical profile and benefits of using tongkat ali merah dan tongkat ali hitam is very limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to obtain the chemical fingerprint profile of the three tongkat ali to ensure the authenticity of the raw materials used. Accurate validation of raw materials is essential to ensure product consistency, safety and efficacy, and ultimately build consumer trust. Analysis involved Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), second derivative IR spectroscopy, and two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy (2D-IR) with thermal interference. The study found the roots of E. longifolia, P. bullata and P. tetrandra can be differentiated by their unique peaks in the secondary derivative spectra. While, the 2D-correlation FTIR based on thermal perturbation emerges as a powerful and distinctive analytical tool, providing a precise fingerprint for differentiating the roots of E. longifolia, P. bullata and P. tetrandra with unparalleled accuracy and reliability.