Author: K. Sari, P.F.D. Indah, E.M. Effendy, A. Marwa, N. Santoso, N.S.P. Sumitro, I. Natania, A. Mukhsin, M. Hanafi, F. Limbong and N. Bachri

DOI: http://doi.org/10.31788/RJC.2026.1939694

Pine (Pinus merkusii) needles are an abundant forest biomass that remains largely underutilised despite containinghigh-value phenolic compounds with antioxidant potential. This study systematically compared three extractionmethods conventionalᵢ maceration, kinetic maceration, and ultrasound-assisted extraction(UAE) to obtain extractswith optimal yield, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity. Driedpineneedles were extracted using each method, followed by quantitative evaluation of TPC (Folin Ciocalteu), TFC(aluminium chloride colourimetry), and DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50). The results showed that the UAEproduced the highest extraction yield (12.33%), followed by kinetic maceration (9.50%) and conventional maceration (8.72%). UAE also exhibited superior TPC (36.488 ± 3.134 mg GAE/g) and TFC (333.118 ± 45.772mgQE/g) compared to kinetic maceration (TPC: 30.616 ± 1.964; TFC: 262.151 ± 26.074) and conventional maceration(TPC: 27.737 ± 3.390; TFC: 206.237 ± 29.565). Antioxidant activity was very strong for UAE (IC50 = 39.255±4.468 ppm) and kinetic maceration (43.250 ± 2.567 ppm), whereas conventional maceration showed weak activity(193.045 ± 12.614 ppm). These findings demonstrate that UAE is the most efficient method for recovering bioactivephenolics and flavonoids from P. merkusii needles, producing extracts with high yield and strong antioxidant capacity. This study provides valuable data for optimizing the utilisation of pine needle waste into value-addednatural antioxidant products.

Keywords: Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE), Phenolic, Flavonoid, Antioxidant, Pinus Merkusii