Investigating The Effect Of Compost Supplementation On Abrus Precatorius To Produce High-Value Triterpenoid Saponin

Abstract

Abrus precatorius, known as Saga, is a legume plant belonging to the tropical Asia region that is known for its toxicity. Precedent research has shown that Abrus precatorius leaves and roots have a potential effect on treating various diseases such as cough, bronchitis, hepatitis, and cancer. However, Saga plants are being undervalued in Indonesia due to the lack of knowledge on the benefits and advantages of the Saga plants. In fact, Saga produces plant secondary metabolites for a variety of biological purposes, most prominently for adapting to environmental stress. Terpenoids, are one of plant secondary metabolites produced or induced by plants when they undergo stress. In Saga plants, triterpenoid saponins are accumulate inside the roots and leaves of the plants, and reportedly possess several advantages of health benefits. Nevertheless, the production of triterpenoid saponins in A. precatorius is relatively low. In the proposed study, an agronomic management approach will be introduced to enhance crop productivity. A comparison of Saga cultivated in compost and AB mix will be conducted and compared to control (soil cultivation without compost) to investigate the potential of this treatment in increasing the triterpenoid in Saga plant root and leaf tissue. Following the compost treatment, the content of triterpenoid saponins will be measured by semi-quantitative analysis using the Liebermann-Burchard methods and will be measured using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer.