Thermal Treatment (Hydrodistillation) on The Biomass of Ficus hispida L. f.: Volatile Organic Compounds Yield, Phytochemical Composition, and Antioxidant Activity Evaluation

Abstract

In this study, a new method for biomass thermal treatment was introduced. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Ficus hispida biomass were obtained via hydrodistillation. The qualitative analysis of VOCs performed by GC–MS and GC–FID techniques identified pentadecanal (14.65%), 2-(E)-hexenal (11.15%), and 2-butyl-5-methyl-2-hexenoic acid ethyl ester (8.53%) as the major compounds. The chemical components varied significantly from the previous study. The results of the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods gave IC50 and antioxidant capacity values of 3.08 ± 0.024 mg/mL, 0.44 ± 0.009 mg/mL, and 135.64 ± 25.49 mM/g, respectively. From the results, the VOCs distilled from F. hispida leaves have an antioxidant property that can be utilized as a natural botanical supplement as an antioxidant and preservative. In addition, the present research offers additional scientific support and a chemical basis for future natural drug discovery.