EVALUASI MUTU FISIK DAN UJI IRITASI SEDIAAN SPRAY ANTINYAMUK DARI EKSTRAK ETANOL DAUN LEGUNDI (Vitex trifolia L.)

Indonesia merupakan negara beriklim tropis dengan kondisi ideal bagi nyamuk untuk berkembang biak. Hal ini menyebabkan banyaknya kasus penyakit yang disebabkan oleh gigitan nyamuk, misalnya demam berdarah dengue. Masyarakat melakukan berbagai upaya untuk menghindari gigitan nyamuk, contohnya menggunakan sediaan antinyamuk pada kulit. Sediaan antinyamuk berupa spray lebih praktis digunakan dibandingkan jenis sediaan topikal lainnya, misalnya lotion dan krim. Legundi (Vitex trifolia L.) merupakan salah satu tanaman yang digunakan secara tradisional oleh masyarakat Indonesia untuk mengusir nyamuk. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan evaluasi mutu fisik dan pengujian iritasi sediaan spray antinyamuk dari ekstrak etanol daun legundi. Simplisia daun legundi diekstraksi menggunakan etanol 96% secara maserasi. Ekstrak kental selanjutnya dibuat menjadi 3 jenis formula sediaan spray antinyamuk dengan variasi konsentrasi ekstrak masing-masing sebesar 3%, 5%, dan 8%. Sedian dari ketiga formula memiliki warna hijau kehitaman, tekstur cair dan bau khas serta pH dalam rentang 5,96 – 6,01 dan homogen. Uji iritasi menerapkan metode Draize pada hewan coba kelinci putih, dimana indeks iritasi dihitung berdasarkan skor eritema dan edema. Selama 72 jam pengamatan, hanya Formula 3 yang menunjukkan adanya edema. Hasil perhitungan indeks iritasi menunjukkan ketiga formula memiliki indeks iritasi 1,67-2,00. Berdasarkan indeks iritasi, ketiga formula tergolong dalam kategori sedikit mengiritasi dan iritasi sedang. Selain itu, kadar ekstrak dalam formula dapat mempengaruhi pH sediaan dan tingkat iritasi. Perbaikan formula diperlukan untuk mengurangi dampak iritasi sehingga diperoleh sediaan antinyamuk yang aman untuk penggunaan topikal

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