Blue Ternate (Clitoria Ternatea)

Blue ternate (Clitoria ternatea) flower extracts have gained attention due to their

potential as an alternative to whiteboard markers. The flower extract of Clitoria ternatea

has been found to possess various beneficial properties. Studies have reported that the

major anthocyanin content in C. ternatea flowers gives them their distinctive blue color

(Indrianingsih, 2023). The flower extract has demonstrated antioxidant capacity and

inhibitory effects on carbohydrate digestive enzymes, making it a potential candidate for

various applications (Chusak et al., 2018). Furthermore, the insecticidal effects of blue

ternate leaf extract have been documented, indicating its diverse range of properties

(Valdez et al., 2021). The antibacterial and in vitro anticancer properties of Clitoria

ternatea leaves further highlight the potential of this flower extract for various uses (Das

et al., 2020). Moreover, the flower extract contains phenolic components such as

myricetin, ternatin, epigallocatechin, quercetin, and kaempferol, which contribute to its

bioactivity (Juliyarsi, 2023).

In addition to its biological properties, the flower extract of Clitoria ternatea has

been studied for its potential applications in various fields. For instance, it has been

used as a natural blue dye in poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) coating films, indicating its

potential as a colorant material (Abidin et al., 2019). Furthermore, the stability of the

natural blue dye extracted from C. ternatea in different environmental conditions has

been investigated, demonstrating its potential for use in different applications (Mahmad

& Taha, 2018). The antioxidant activity of the flower extract has also been explored,

showing its potential in inhibiting lipid peroxidation (Purwanto et al., 2022). Moreover,
the flower extract has been utilized as an indicator in acid-base titration, indicating its

potential for analytical applications (Wiyantoko & Astuti, 2020).

Alcohol

Alcohol flower extracts from Clitoria ternatea have been traditionally used in

Ayurvedic medicine due to their memory-enhancing properties (Mukherjee et al., 2008).

Additionally, these extracts have shown hepatoprotective and antioxidant capacities,

making them beneficial in protecting the liver from damage (Kopilakkal et al., 2021). The

presence of proanthocyanidin-rich compounds in the flower extracts has been found to

suppress nitric oxide production, indicating potential anti-inflammatory properties (Ho et

al., 2007). Furthermore, the flower extracts contain anthocyanins, which are known for

their stability in weakly acidic or neutral aqueous solutions and are used as food

colorants (Terahara et al., 1996). These properties make Clitoria ternatea flower

extracts suitable for various applications, including the development of food products

such as jelly candy (Juliyarsi, 2023).

Moreover, research has demonstrated the hypoglycemic effects of Clitoria

ternatea flower extracts, indicating their potential in managing diabetes (Daisy & Rajathi,

2009). The natural blue dye extracted from Clitoria ternatea flowers has been studied

for its color stability, showing promise for applications in coating films (Chandra, 2019).

Furthermore, the insecticidal effects of Clitoria ternatea leaf extracts against mosquito

wrigglers highlight their potential in pest control (Valdez et al., 2021). Additionally, the

acceptability of Clitoria ternatea as an alternative medicine has been investigated,

indicating its recognition and potential use in traditional healthcare practices (Abance et
al., 2021). Furthermore, the hypoglycemic activity of seed extracts from Clitoria ternatea

suggests their potential in managing diabetes (Kalyan et al., 2011).

References:

Abance, A., Anglacer, S., Soriano, F., Umadhay, A., Malaco, A., & Besa, A. (2021).

Respondents’ level of education, knowledge, awareness, and acceptability of blue

ternate (clitoria ternatea) as alternative medicine. Indonesian Journal of Multidiciplinary

Research, 1(2), 337-340. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijomr.v1i2.37818

Chandra, S. (2019). Evaluation of methanolic extract of clitoria ternatea

hepatoprotective & nephroprotective activity in rats. Journal of Drug Delivery and

Therapeutics, 9(4-A), 313-319. https://doi.org/10.22270/jddt.v9i4-a.3478

Daisy, P. and Rajathi, M. (2009). Hypoglycemic effects of clitoria ternatea linn.

(fabaceae) in alloxan-induced diabetes in rats. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical

Research, 8(5). https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v8i5.48082

Ho, S., Hwang, L., Shen, Y., & Lin, C. (2007). Suppressive effect of a proanthocyanidin-

rich extract from longan (dimocarpus longan lour.) flowers on nitric oxide production in

lps-stimulated macrophage cells. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 55(26),

10664-10670. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf0721186

Juliyarsi, I. (2023). Physicochemical and microbiological study of dadiah jelly candy with

the addition of clitoria ternatea flower extract. Iop Conference Series Earth and
Environmental Science, 1228(1), 012033. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-

1315/1228/1/012033

Kalyan, B., Hariprasath, K., Palaniyappan, V., & Praveen, A. (2011). Hypoglycaemic

activity of seed extract of clitoria ternatea linn in streptozotocin- induced diabetic rats..

Pharmacognosy Journal, 3(19), 45-47. https://doi.org/10.5530/pj.2011.19.9

Kopilakkal, R., Chanda, K., & Balamurali, M. (2021). Hepatoprotective and antioxidant

capacity of clerodendrum paniculatum flower extracts against carbon tetrachloride-

induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Acs Omega, 6(40), 26489-26498.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c03722

Mukherjee, P., Venkatesan, K., Kumar, N., & Heinrich, M. (2008). The ayurvedic

medicine clitoria ternatea—from traditional use to scientific assessment. Journal of

Ethnopharmacology, 120(3), 291-301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2008.09.009

Terahara, N., Oda, M., Matsui, T., Osajima, Y., Saito, N., Toki, K., … & Honda, T. (1996).

Five new anthocyanins, ternatins a3, b4, b3, b2, and d2, from clitoria ternatea flowers.

Journal of Natural Products, 59(2), 139-144. https://doi.org/10.1021/np960050a

Valdez, A., Abusama, H., Lapuz, N., Martinez, S., Pineda, S., & Tolentino, A. (2021).

Insecticidal effects of blue ternate (clitoria ternatea) leaf extract against mosquito

wrigglers. Asean Journal of Science and Engineering, 1(3), 141-144.

https://doi.org/10.17509/ajse.v1i3.37777

References:
Abidin, Z., Manah, N., Hadi, A., Saugi, N., Fuad, F., Mazni, N., … & Arof, A. (2019). The
colour stability of natural blue dye extracted from clitoria ternatea l. in poly(acrylamide-
co-acrylic acid) coating film. Pigment & Resin Technology, 48(4), 265-271.
https://doi.org/10.1108/prt-12-2017-0106
Chusak, C., Thilavech, T., Henry, C., & Adisakwattana, S. (2018). Acute effect of clitoria
ternatea flower beverage on glycemic response and antioxidant capacity in healthy
subjects: a randomized crossover trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine,
18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-2075-7
Das, A., Priya, G., Soundariya, S., Deepesh, P., Edwin, A., Vihashinee, E., … & Bindhu,
J. (2020). Antibacterial and in vitro anticancer study of methanol extracts of clitoria
ternatea leaves. Journal of Natural Remedies, 20(2), 96-102.
https://doi.org/10.18311/jnr/2020/24381
Indrianingsih, A. (2023). The use of clitoria ternatea as sustainable detection tool for ni
(ii) and cu (ii) ions in simple paper-based analytical device. Iop Conference Series Earth
and Environmental Science, 1267(1), 012003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-
1315/1267/1/012003
Juliyarsi, I. (2023). Physicochemical and microbiological study of dadiah jelly candy with
the addition of clitoria ternatea flower extract. Iop Conference Series Earth and
Environmental Science, 1228(1), 012033. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-
1315/1228/1/012033
Mahmad, N. and Taha, R. (2018). Effects of ph, uv-b radiation and nacl on anthocyanin
stability from vivid blue petals of clitoria ternatea l., a potential natural colourant from
legume crop. Pigment & Resin Technology, 47(6), 507-510. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt-
11-2016-0106
Purwanto, U., Aprilia, K., & SULISTIYANI, S. (2022). Antioxidant activity of telang
(clitoria ternatea l.) extract in inhibiting lipid peroxidation. Current Biochemistry, 9(1), 26-
37. https://doi.org/10.29244/cb.9.1.3
Valdez, A., Abusama, H., Lapuz, N., Martinez, S., Pineda, S., & Tolentino, A. (2021).
Insecticidal effects of blue ternate (clitoria ternatea) leaf extract against mosquito
wrigglers. Asean Journal of Science and Engineering, 1(3), 141-144.
https://doi.org/10.17509/ajse.v1i3.37777
Wiyantoko, B. and Astuti, A. (2020). Butterfly pea (clitoria ternatea l.) extract as indicator
of acid-base titration. Ijca (Indonesian Journal of Chemical Analysis), 3(1), 22-32.
https://doi.org/10.20885/ijca.vol3.iss1.art4