Pericarpium of Red Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) Extract as a Leucocyte Colouring Agent on White Blood Cell Count Examination
Haidir Syafrullah (a*), Anita Oktari (b), Umaiya Arifni (b)

a) Medical School of Dharma Husada, Bandung, Indonesia
*haidirsyafrullah[at]yahoo.com
b) Department of Medical Analyst, School of Analyst Bakti Asih, Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract

Anthocyanin as a natural red colouring agent can be yielded by extracting of pericarpium of red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus). The extraction of anthocyanin can be used as a colouring agent on white blood cell count extramination replacing gentian violet due to a chemical agent that are unbiodegradable , skin and eye iritation. The purpose of reseach is to determinate some good concentrations of natural red dye that yielded from 5 extractions namely 0.11%, 0.12%, 0.13%, 0.14%, 0.15% with adding glacial acid for leucocyte colouring on white blood cell examination.
The result of reseach data showed some good concentrations of anthocyanin to produce colour contras for colouring leucocyte on white blood cells count examinations are : 0.13%, 0.14%, 0.15% based on statistical data in this reseach used one way Anova and Mann Whitney test.
The conclusion of the reseach is antociyanin as natural red colouring agent from H. polyrhizus can replace gentian violet as a colouring agent in white blood cell count examination.
For further reseach is recommended to make selection the best concentration for leucocyte colouring on white blood cell examination and used other plant extracts that contain anthocyanin as a natural colouring agent.

Keywords: Anthocyanin, Pericarpium of Red Dragon Fruit, Leucocyte

Topic: Biology