Preparation of Ethanolic Extract of Elettariopsis Curtisii (Zingiberaceae) Leaves and Roots by Using Soxhlet Extraction

The genus Elettariopsis curtisii, belongs to the Zingiberaceae family and contains medicinal herbs. It is locally known as "pijat-pijat" due to the strong bed-bug odour imparted from the crushed leaves and rhizomes. This study extracted Elettariopsis curtisii (Zingiberaceae) leaf and root using Soxhlet apparatus and 150 mL ethanol 96 % as a solvent extraction. Ethanol was used as solvent due to the solubility of bioactive compounds, non-toxic and biodegradable. The leaves were collected, chopped and dried until reached a constant weight. The Soxhlet extraction was carried out at constant temperature 80 °C for 6 hours. In this study, Soxhlet extraction method (SE) was chosen as it is a straightforward and efficient procedure.