Impact of Solvent Type on Total Flavonoid Content and Sun Protection Factors in Centella asiatica (L.) Urban Leaves Extract

Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. is a widely recognized medicinal plant with neuroprotective, memory-enhancing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, cardioprotective, and wound-healing properties. The leaves of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. demonstrate antioxidant activity attributed to the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and tannins, making them promising candidates for natural sunscreen development. This study aimed to evaluate the total flavonoid content and sun protection factor (SPF) of the leaf extract Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The study was conducted through a series of experimental procedures, including raw material collection, simplicia preparation, extraction, fractionation, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), flavonoid quantification, and SPF assessment. The total flavonoid content of the ethyl acetate, aqueous, and n-hexane fractions of the ethanolic extract of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. leaves was found to be 2.53 mg QE/g, 1.24 mg QE/g, and 0.60 mg QE/g, respectively. The SPF values of the ethanolic leaf extract at concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm were classified as providing minimal, moderate, maximum, maximum, and ultra protection, respectively. These results indicate that Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. leaves have significant potential as a natural source of antioxidants and as a sunscreen agent capable of offering effective protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation.