Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Piper betle L. Leaves Essential Oils fromDifferent Locations of Malaysia

Abstract

Piper betle L. (Piperaceae) is a medicinal plant rich in essential oils and widely recognised for its therapeutic properties. This study aimed to determine the chemical composition as well as antioxidant and antibacterial activities of essential oils from leaves of P. betle collected from three different locations in Malaysia (Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Malacca). The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and characterised using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, while antibacterial activity was determined using the disc diffusion method. GC-MS analysis identified 32 (90.4%), 23 (97.4%) and 32 (83.0%) compounds in the essential oils from Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Malacca, respectively. Phenylpropanoids were the predominant class of compounds (41.5–85.4%), with eugenol (24.0–61.1%) being the most abundant compound in all essential oils. Among the three essential oils, the Selangor essential oil exhibited the highest amount of phenylpropanoids and demonstrated the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 50.53 μg/mL ± 0.09) as well as the most potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (25.00 mm ±0.50) and Escherichia coli (21.60 mm ± 0.15). Overall, these findings suggest that geographical location may influence the chemical composition and biological activities of P. betle leaves essential oils. This study offers preliminary information for the future utilisation of P.betle essential oils from Malaysia as a promising natural source of antioxidant and antibacterial agents.