TOTAL FLAVONOID CONTENT OF FALOAK (STERCULIA QUADRIFIDA) BARK IN VARIETIES OF BARK COLOUR, TREE DIAMETER AND GROWTH ALTITUDE

Sterculia quadrifida (Sterculiaceae) grows in Indonesia, India, Timor Leste and Australia. In East NusaTenggara province, Indonesia, particularly in Timor Island, S. quadrifida is called ‘faloak’ and its bark is usedto treat hepatitis. This study aims to determine the correlation between total flavonoid content and varietiesof bark colour, tree diameter class and altitudes, and to examine the interaction between tree diameterclass and altitudes in terms of flavonoid content. Sterculia quadrifida barks were collected from four altitudestrata of ≤ 300, > 300–600, > 600–900 and > 900 m a.s.l. Each stratum of altitude consisted of three diameterclasses of ≤ 15, > 15–30 and > 30 cm. Bark colour was classified using Munsell colour chart. The powderedbarks were macerated with 96% ethanol and evaporated to yield thick extracts. The total flavonoid contentof each extract was measured by spectrophotometry. There were four dominant colour groups, i.e., red,brown, yellow and orange. The highest total flavonoid content was found in the red (0.25%) and yellow(0.25%) barks. The results showed that the highest total flavonoid content was found in tree diameter of >15–30 cm, with a total flavonoid of 0.22%. The highest total flavonoid content (0.21%) was observed in thebarks from altitude range of ≤ 300 m a.s.l. There was a weak interaction between altitude and tree diameteron the extract yield and total flavonoid of S. quadrifida bark.