Abstract
The bio-active phenolic compounds in Alpinia galanga and A. calcarata were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy method. LC-MS/MS analysis showed that gallic acid and ellagic acid were the major phenolic compounds in A. galanga (320 and 518 mg.kg−1, respectively) and A. calcarata (75 and 1,200 mg.kg−1, respectively). The method was validated for its linearity, precision, and accuracy as well as sensitivity. A. galanga showed better free radical scavenging activity against DPPH. and ABTS+. with an IC50 value of 21.26 and 25.54 μ g.mL−1, respectively than A. calcarata (56.51 and 62.35 μ g.mL−1, respectively). The antioxidant activity of A. galanga may be due to higher amounts of phenolic compounds present in this plant.