Impact of Drying Methods on Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Properties of Kalanchoe ceratophylla

Kalanchoe species have been used as herbal medicines in traditional Asian medicine. One of the Kalanchoe species that has the potential as a medicinal plant and is still limited in its studies is Kalanchoe ceratophylla. This study investigated the effects of drying methods, namely, freeze drying (FD) and hot air drying (HAD), on bioactive compounds, phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidants in Kalanchoe ceratophylla leaves and stems. The content of bioactive compounds in K. ceratophylla leaves and stems was identified with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. In addition, the antioxidant activity of K. ceratophylla was also measured. The results of GC-MS on K. ceratophylla contain major bioactive compounds including gamma.-Sitosterol, Glutinol, Friedelan-3-one, Squalene, Ergost-5-en-3-ol, (3.β.)-, Erythritol, and Neophytadiene. The main component identified in the leaf and stem extracts of K. ceratophylla is gamma-sitosterol (± 15%), which shows anticancer and antidiabetic effects. The antioxidant activity in K. ceratophylla with the FD method was higher than that with the HAD method. This study suggests that FD was considered appropriate and should be used to maintain the content of important bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in K. ceratophylla. These findings suggest that further research and development of bioactive compounds essential for their pharmacological properties in K. ceratophylla may be warranted, with the potential for developing new drugs.