The Effect of Jeruju Leaf Brew (Acanthus ilicifolius L) on HOMA-IR and TNF-α in White Rats Induce by STZ-NA

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has reported a consistent global rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Conventional T2DM treatments such as metformin, sulfonylureas, and insulin therapy are effective. Still, they can lead to side effects, including gastrointestinal disturbances, hypoglycemia, renal impairment, weight gain, and complications associated with injection procedures. The herbal remedies are considered a natural alternative with fewer adverse effects. Acanthus ilicifolius (Jeruju) contains antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins and may serve as a complementary therapy. This study investigated the effect of jeruju leaf brew at 6 ml/kg/day and 12 ml/kg/day on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels. Using a true experiment with a randomized post-test only with a control group design, 30 rats were divided into five groups (K0, K−, K+, P1, and P2). After 28 days of intervention, groups P1 and P2 showed significant reductions in TNF-α (7.80 pg/ml and 6.94 pg/ml, respectively) and HOMA-IR (3.75 and 3.28, respectively). These findings indicate that a higher dose of jeruju leaf brew results in greater reductions in TNF-α and HOMA-IR levels in T2DM rats

Differential Leukocyte Count Responses Post Injection of Duffy-binding-like Domain-2β of PfEMP1 Recombinant Protein in Wistar Rat

Malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum causes a high mortality rate, and vaccination is a valuable approach to control it. One malaria vaccine candidate is Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1 (PfEMP1), specifically Duffy binding-like 2β (DBL2β) domain (DBL2β-PfEMP1), which has a vital role in severe malaria pathogenesis. The DBL2β-PfEMP1 recombinant protein is immunogenic. This study aimed to investigate the immune response of DBL2β-PfEMP1 protein by analyzing the differential leukocyte count. Twenty-three rats were randomly divided into control and five treatment groups. Rats were injected on days 0, 21, and 42 with a physiological solution of 0.9% NaCl, adjuvant, DBL2β-PfEMP1 protein, and each mixture of DBL2β-PfEMP1 protein with doses of 150, 300, and 450 µg/200gBW and adjuvant. Blood was collected on day 56 and prepared for differential leukocyte count examination with a visual microscopic examination by two expert observers. The results showed that DBL2β-PfEMP1 recombinant protein and adjuvant increased the eosinophils and neutrophils but decreased monocytes and lymphocytes and did not affect the basophils. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between groups for eosinophils (between control and DBL groups; Adj and DBL groups; DBL and other groups except DBL150+adj) and monocytes (between control and all doşe groups with adjuvant; DBL and all doşe groups with aduvant), but not for basophils, neutrophils, and lymphocytes. In conclusion, the serial injection of DBL2β-PfEMP1 recombinant protein showed different responses in each leukocyte cell type. Further analysis by time-series differential leukocyte count examination will be essential to determine the responses of each type of leukocyte to support the research on malaria vaccine development

Kato Katz against Floatation Technique Comparison for Intestinal Helminth Detection of Elementary School Children in Swamp Wetland Area, South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Intestinal helminth infections are the most widespread of the world's neglected tropical diseases, primarily affecting morbidity in school-age children. Early and accurate intestinal helminth detection is important to determine an effective treatment for reducing morbidity. This research objective is to compare intestinal worm infections in elementary school children in swampy wetland areas using the Kato-Katz method and Flotation techniques. Two hundred ninety-six elementary school children in Danau Panggang Swamp-wetland, 6-13 years old, were examined for intestinal helminth eggs in no-preservative feces using microscopies Kato Katz and Floatation. The result of Kato Katz was a total egg counting per gram feces of Ascaris lumbricoides 23-92/gr feces Trichuris trichiura 23-207/gr feces and Fasciolopsis buski 23-69/gr feces, while the results of Floatation only Ascaris lumbricoides 10-50/gr feces Trichuris trichiura 20-90/gr feces. The percentage of intestinal helminth infection by Kato Katz was 31,76% (94 samples), which is higher than by the Floatation was 25,34% (75 samples). The Wilcoxon statistical test obtained a significance value of 0.001, which shows p<α (α=0.05); there is a significant difference between the results of the quantitative examination of intestinal worm eggs between the Kato Katz and Floatation technique. It is recommended that Kato Katz's performance testing be continued compared to PCR methods and a wider sample area

Effect of Astaxanthin Cream on MMP-1 and SOD Expression in Wistar Rats Exposed to ultraviolet B

Ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure is the main cause of skin damage leading to photoaging, increasing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and triggering the production of Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) enzymes that play an important role in photoaging, describing clinical signs including wrinkles, thickening, dryness and pigmentation. Astaxanthin can inhibit ageing and reduce wrinkles, has strong antioxidant potential that can neutralize ROS, and suppress MMP-1 activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of astaxanthin cream on the levels of MMP-1 and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) enzyme production in mouse skin tissue exposed to short-term UVB light experimental research with a post-test-only control group design. The experimental animals used were 28 Wistar rats divided into 4 groups, namely group K1 (healthy), group KN exposed to short-term UVB and given base cream, group P1 exposed to short-term UVB rays and given 0.05% astaxanthin cream, and group P2 exposed to short-term UVB rays and given 0.1% astaxanthin cream. The treatment was carried out for 5 days, and on the 6th day, the levels of MMP-1 enzyme production in skin tissue and SOD were examined using the immunohistochemical method. Based on One-way ANOVA, there was a significant difference in the average levels of MMP-1 enzyme production in the skin tissue of all groups (p = 0.000). The highest MMP-1 production was found in the KN group, while in the P2 group, the levels were lower and not significantly different from the healthy group (K1). Significant differences in SOD expression were also observed among all groups (p = 0.000) using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The highest SOD expression was found in group P2 and was significantly different from groups P1 and KN. Topical astaxanthin cream administration affected MMP-1 enzyme production in skin tissue and SOD expression in Wistar rats exposed to short-term UVB radiation. Astaxanthin-based cream formulation has the potential to be developed as a topical agent to prevent skin damage caused by sun exposure, and these findings require further validation through studies on human skin models or early clinical trials

The Ability of Alum to Reduce Color in Sasirangan Home Industry Wastewater

Water is the main need of living things in the world. Water determines the sustainability of living things. Humans, animals, and plants depend on water for their survival. Therefore, water should always meet the standards that have been set. Wastewater from the home-based sasirangan industry has distinctive characteristics in the form of the color of wastewater that has not been managed properly. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of alum to reduce the color of home-based sasirangan industry wastewater. The type of research is a true experiment, with the population being all home-based sasirangan industry wastewater in Atun Sasirangan Cempaka. The sample is part of the wastewater. The wastewater was put into 25 containers for 5 treatments of alum addition with concentrations of 40%, 80%, 160%, 240%, and 320%.  Each treatment was repeated 5 times. The results showed that the average value of wastewater color after treatment ranged from 140.5 to 179.2 Pt-Co. The lowest average value was in the treatment of adding alum with a concentration of 160%. It is concluded that alum is able to reduce the color of home-based sasirangan industry wastewater. It is recommended that the handling of wastewater color problems in the sasirangan fabric home industry use alum as a coagulant in the treatment method

Analysis of Serum Creatinine Levels, Blood Pressure and Grade of Hypertension of Chronic Disease Management Program Participants

Indonesia is one of the countries with the highest number of cases of hypertension in the world; the predominant patient is the elderly. In some patients with hypertension, increased blood pressure causes impaired salt and creatinine excretion, resulting in poor kidney function. A chronic disease management program is a health care system with a proactive-integrative approach to prevent further complications. The research objective is to analyze serum creatinine levels, blood pressure, and hypertension grade and determine the relationship between serum creatinine and blood pressure in chronic disease management program participants. The study subjects, 73 participants with hypertension, were obtained by purposive sampling. Patient data and hypertension grade were obtained from medical records; an auto chemistry analyzer analyzed serum creatinine. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test using SPSS. Participants with hypertension fall into the elderly age (60-69 years), totalling 31 (42%); pre-elderly age (45–59 years) includes 28 (38%); and high-risk elderly age (>70 years) includes 14 (19%). Most of the participants (40 participants) fell into hypertension stage II, followed by hypertension stage I (25 participants), and only 8 participants fell into the elevated category. The mean serum creatinine of participants with Elevated blood pressure criteria was 0.89±0.178, Hypertension grade I 0.91±0.322, and hypertension grade II 0.99±0.269, illustrating a trend of increasing serum creatinine levels due to higher blood pressure criteria. Pearson correlation test shows a significant correlation between both systolic blood pressure with serum creatinine levels (p<0.05, r=0.2) and diastolic blood pressure with serum creatinine levels (p=0.007, r=0.342). There was a trend of increasing serum creatinine levels corresponding to the hypertension grade in participants. Blood pressure was significantly correlated with serum creatinine, clearly confirming that an increase in blood pressure may followed by an increase in serum creatinine

Amino Acid Mutations of OprD Protein in Pseudomonas aeruginosa After Meropenem Exposure

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative pathogen associated with nosocomial infections and increased resistance to carbapenems, often linked to porin OprD inactivation. This study aimed to analyse amino acid substitutions in the OprD protein of two meropenem-sensitive Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates (AK36 and AK237b) after 12 days of in vitro exposure to subinhibitory meropenem concentration (0.5 µg/mL). DNA was extracted at three time points (days 0, 5, and 12) and the oprD gene was sequenced using Sanger sequencing. Protein sequences were aligned and modelled using Swiss-Model to identify mutations and to assess structural changes. By day 12, AK36 had Gln67Lys and Gly68Ser substitutions, whereas AK237b had Glu169Lys. Structural modelling suggests these mutations may alter porin conformation and reduce membrane permeability. Despite no increase in the MIC, oprD expression was suppressed, indicating early adaptation. These findings support the hypothesis that prolonged meropenem pressure induces molecular changes that precede phenotypic resistance. This study highlights the importance of monitoring porin mutations as an early indicator of carbapenem resistance in clinical microbiology. This could help to improve antibiotic stewardship by identifying isolates at risk of developing resistance before it becomes clinically apparent

Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of Limau Kuit Peel (Citrus hystrix) Extract with Variation of Extraction Solvent

Limau kuit (Citrus hystrix) has been traditionally utilized for its therapeutic properties, particularly the antioxidant potential of its peel. Extraction is preferred for medicinal use, with solvent selection playing a critical role in determining the yield and concentration of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to assess the characteristics and antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ value) of Limau Kuit peel extract extracted with three different solvents. The research methods, starting with sample preparation, were carried out by drying Limau Kuit peel, then extraction using three different solvents: distilled water, ethanol 70%, and ethanol 96%. Extraction with distilled water solvent used the infusion method, while the ethanol solvent used the maceration method. The third extract was then characterized based on the parameters of percent yield, organoleptic testing, phytochemical screening, chromatography profile, and determination of total flavonoid levels. Antioxidant activity testing on the third extract using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method. The study results showed that the third extract had the same shape, color, aroma, taste, and compound content: flavonoids, phenolics, alkaloids, and terpenoids. The results of thin-layer chromatography also showed no difference in the third extract. The characteristic differences were found in the parameters of percent yield and total flavonoid content.  The highest total flavonoid content of Limau Kuit (Citrus hystrix) peel extract was obtained using 70% ethanol (11.47% w/w), followed by 96% ethanol (6.39% w/w), and distilled water (2.82% w/w). Antioxidant activity, evaluated using the IC₅₀ value as the parameter, showed that the 70% ethanol extract exhibited the strongest activity (21.26 ppm, very strong), followed by the 96% ethanol extract (31.87 ppm, very strong), and distilled water extract (70.91 ppm, strong). This study concludes that 70% ethanol is the most effective solvent for extracting antioxidant-rich compounds from Limau Kuit peel, supporting its potential use in herbal formulations

The Effects of Fermented Buffalo Milk (Dadih) Fortified with Red Dragon Fruit and Selenium on Adiponectin and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Levels in Obese Rats

The increasing prevalence of obesity and its associated complications necessitates the exploration of functional foods as therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to analyze the effects of fermented buffalo milk (dadih) fortified with red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) and selenium on adiponectin and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) levels in obese rats. This experimental study employed a pretest-posttest control group design involving 20 Wistar rats divided into four groups: K1 (healthy control), K2 (obese control), P1, and P2 (obese intervention). K2, P1, and P2 were in obesity conditions induced by a high-fat-fructose diet (HFFD) for 28 days, and K1 was a healthy control group. Furthermore, dadih only and dadih fortified with red dragon fruit and selenium at 1.8 g/200 g body weight/day were administered to P1 and P2 groups, respectively. Treatment using dadih fortified with red dragon fruit and selenium significantly reduced weight gain (p=0.000) compared to K2 and P1. In addition, the P2 group showed increased adiponectin levels and decreased TNF-α levels (p=0.000) compared to the K2 and P1 groups. A strong negative correlation was found between adiponectin levels and TNF-alpha and body weight, while TNF-alpha and body weight showed a strong positive correlation. To conclude, fortifying dadih with red dragon fruit and selenium is more effective in improving the metabolic condition of obese rats compared to non-fortified dadih. This fortification significantly enhances adiponectin levels and reduces TNF-alpha levels. These findings suggest that functional food fortification could be a promising approach for managing obesity-related inflammation and metabolic disorders in humans, highlighting the potential application of dadih in dietary interventions

Antibacterial Potential of Curcuma Mangga Kombucha: The Effect of Fermentation Duration on Activity Against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi

Kombucha is a fermented beverage known for its various health benefits, including antibacterial activity. This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial potential of mango ginger (Curcuma mangga)-based kombucha against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi, as well as to analyze the effect of fermentation duration on the physicochemical properties of kombucha. Fermentation was conducted for 5, 7, 10, and 14 days, with total acidity, pH, and antibacterial activity measurements using the well diffusion method. The results showed total acidity increased as fermentation progressed, while pH decreased. Antibacterial tests demonstrated that mango ginger kombucha exhibited inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi, with the largest inhibition zones observed on day 10 of fermentation (8.2 mm for Escherichia coli and 9.2 mm for Salmonella typhi). Although its inhibitory effect was moderate compared to the positive control (ciprofloxacin), these findings suggest the potential of mango ginger kombucha as a functional beverage with antibacterial properties. Further research is needed to identify the active compounds responsible for its antimicrobial activity and to optimize the fermentation process to enhance its effectiveness