Aktivitas Anti-Inflamasi Minyak Herbal Tradisional Dari Bahan Usada Bali Pada Mencit Inflamasi Yang Diinduksi Karagenan

Peradangan sendi atau artritis merupakan salah satu penyakit inflamasi kronis yang memerlukan penggunaan obat jangka panjang. Penggunaan obat artritis seperti metotreksat dan NSAID dalam waktu lama dapat menimbulkan berbagai efek samping serius, sehingga diperlukan alternatif pengobatan yang relatif lebih aman terutama dari bahan herbal. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menguji aktivitas anti-inflamasi minyak herbal tradisional Usada Bali dari bahan Jahe (Zingiber officinale), Kunyit (Curcuma longa), Kencur (Kaemferia galanga), Bangle (Zingiber montanum), Cengkeh (Syzigium aromaticum) dan Kayu Manis (Cinnamomum burmanii) pada mencit inflamasi yang diinduksi karagenan melalui pengujian secara topikal. Mencit dibagi empat kelompok yang terdiri dari kelompok kontrol negatif (pembawa), kontrol positif (Natrium Diklofenak topikal), minyak herbal 150 dan 300 mg/ml. Volume peradangan kaki mencit diukur dengan alat pletismometer setiap jam selama empat jam setelah diinduksi dengan karagenan 0,5% (b/v) subplantar, kemudian diuji secara statistik (Mann-Whitney) dengan taraf kepercayaan 95%. Skrining fitokimia menunjukkan bahwa minyak herbal mengandung senyawa flavonoid, terpenoid dan steroid. Hasil uji aktivitas anti-inflamasi menunjukan adanya penghambatan peradangan yang signifikan (p0,05). Hasil tersebut menunjukkan adanya potensi  minyak herbal Usada Bali sebagai anti-inflamasi topikal

ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF MEDICINAL PLANT USAGE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A COMMUNITY-BASED SURVEY IN INDONESIA

Before the availability of a vaccine, Indonesian population relied on traditional medicines to prevent COVID-19. Any species used by indigenous people could lead to further investigations in modern pharmacology, to preserve ancient knowledge, and to plan for plants’ conservation. The study aimed to discover and record species, methods of preparation, route of administration, and motivation in using medicinal plants by the Indonesian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants of survey were selected from the people who live in Java and Bali for responding to an online structured questionnaire. Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) was employed in the quantitative analysis of the collected data. The pharmacological relevance of the five plants with the highest RFC was further reviewed. The results showed that respondents used 59 plants from 28 families. Five species with the highest RFC were Curcuma longa (0.707), Zingiber officinale (0.674), Cymbopogon citratus (0.269), Kaempferia galanga (0.174), and Curcuma zanthorrhiza (0.165). Most plants were prepared by boiling (77.97%) and administered orally as a single ingredient or mixed with other herbals. Respondents believed that the plants were beneficial as immune-booster (71.26%), maintain good health (24.85%) and stamina (12.28%), and prevent viral infection, including COVID-19 (5.39%). The most commonly used plants might be scientifically based to boost immunity. However, their usage against COVID-19 and the medicinal value of herbal mixtures should be further investigated

Piper betle (L): Recent Review of Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties, Safety Profiles, and Commercial Applications

Piper betle (L) is a popular medicinal plant in Asia. Plant leaves have been used as a traditional medicine to treat various health conditions. It is highly abundant and inexpensive, therefore promoting further research and industrialization development, including in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Articles published from 2010 to 2020 were reviewed in detail to show recent updates on the antibacterial and antifungal properties of betel leaves. This current review showed that betel leaves extract, essential oil, preparations, and isolates could inhibit microbial growth and kill various Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as fungal species, including those that are multidrug-resistant and cause serious infectious diseases. P. betle leaves displayed high efficiency on Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The ratio of MBC/MIC indicated bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects of P. betle leaves, while MFC/MIC values showed fungicidal and fungistatic effects. This review also provides a list of phytochemical compounds in betel leaves extracts and essential oils, safety profiles, and value-added products of betel leaves. Some studies also showed that the combination of betel leaves extract and essential oil with antibiotics (streptomycin, chloramphenicol and gentamicin) could provide potentiating antibacterial properties. Moreover, this review delivers a scientific resume for researchers in respected areas and manufacturers who want to develop betel leaves-based products

Phytochemical Analysis and Molecular Identification of Green Macroalgae <i>Caulerpa</i> spp. from Bali, Indonesia

The studies of the Bulung Boni and Bulung Anggur (Caulerpa spp.) species and secondary metabolites are still very limited. Proper identification will support various aspects, such as cultivation, utilization, and economic interests. Moreover, understanding the secondary metabolites will assist in developing algae-based products. This study aimed to identify these indigenous Caulerpa algae and analyze their bioactive components. The tufA sequence was employed as a molecular marker in DNA barcoding, and its bioactive components were identified using the GC-MS method. The phylogenetic tree was generated in MEGA 11 using the maximum likelihood method, and the robustness of the tree was evaluated using bootstrapping with 1000 replicates. This study revealed that Bulung Boni is strongly connected to Caulerpa cylindracea. However, Bulung Anggur shows no close relationship to other Caulerpa species. GC-MS analysis of ethanolic extracts of Bulung Boni and Bulung Anggur showed the presence of 11 and 13 compounds, respectively. The majority of the compounds found in these algae have been shown to possess biological properties, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammation, and antidiabetic. Further study is necessary to compare the data obtained using different molecular markers in DNA barcoding, and to elucidate other undisclosed compounds in these Caulerpa algae