The Variation of Betulinic Acid Content of Andalas Tree (Morus macroura var. Macroura) in Different Localities of West Sumatra

Recently, herbal ingredients have been utilized as candidate supplements or drugs to increase the resistance of body against diseases caused by viruses. In general, research is focused on plants used as herbal medicine in Indonesia. Sumatran mulberry (Morus macroura var. Macroura) is the native plant tree species in West Sumatra with the local name of the Andalas tree that has the potential to be used as a medicinal plant against the viruses desease due to its betulinic acid content. The content of secondary metabolites in a plant species can vary due to the influence of various environmental factors in their habitats. This study explored the content of betulinic acid of Morus macroura var. Macroura from four different locations in West Sumatra (Tanjung Bungo, Nagari Koto Hilalang, Paninjauan and Andaleh). Sample extracted from leaves and the level of content were examined using the Densitometric Thin-layer Chromatography (TLC) methods with the pure betulinic acid commpound as a standar. In this paper, we describe the various content of betulinic acid of Andalas Tree and discuss its potentiality as source of medicinal product based on the recent references.