Abstract
Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between free radical formation and the body's antioxidant defenses, is a key factor in many degenerative diseases. Natural antioxidants from plants, such as Sesbania grandiflora L. leaves, offer a safer alternative to synthetic ones. This study aimed to determine the effect of ethanol concentration and maceration time on the antioxidant activity of S. grandiflora leaf extract. A laboratory experiment was conducted using a completely randomized factorial design. The factors were ethanol concentration (50%, 70%, and 96%) and maceration time (24, 48, and 96 hours). Antioxidant activity was measured using the ABTS method and expressed as the IC50 value. The results showed that the combination of 96% ethanol and a 48-hour maceration time (P8) produced the highest antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 39.16 ± 1.08 ppm, categorized as very strong. In contrast, extending maceration to 96 hours with 96% ethanol led to a decrease in activity (IC50 of 90.79 ± 1.64 ppm). The study concludes that both ethanol concentration and maceration time significantly influence the antioxidant activity of S. grandiflora leaf extract, with the optimum conditions being 96% ethanol for 48 hours. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing extraction parameters to obtain a potent natural antioxidant source for functional food and pharmaceutical applications.