Perbandingan Hasil Skrining Fitokimia Sari dan Rebusan Daun Kenikir (Cosmos caudatus Kunth.)
Kenikir leaves (Cosmos caudatus Kunth.) are tropical plants that are known to contain secondary metabolite compounds such as flavonoids, phenolics, alkaloids, saponins, and others. The traditional use of kenikir leaves encourages the need for scientific research to determine its bioactive content more specifically based on its form. This study aims to compare the content of active compounds between the juice and decoction of kenikir leaves with a qualitative phytochemical screening test. The research was conducted experimentally using a post-test only design. Kenikir leaves are obtained from independent plants that are cultivated organically, then harvested in fresh conditions, washed clean, and processed into two forms of preparations, namely juice and decoction of kenikir leaves. Both preparations are then subjected to phytochemical screening that identifies the content of bioactive compounds. The tests included seven groups of compounds: phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, as well as steroids and triterpenoids. Each test was carried out in three iterations, and the data were presented in the form of a table to be descriptively compared with previous studies. The results showed that the preparation of kenikir leaf juice was positive for phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and alkaloids, while the preparation of the kenikir leaf decoction was positive for phenolic compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins. The conclusion of this study shows that there is a difference in the results of phytochemical screening of cider and kenikar leaf stew.