Berkala Ilmiah Kimia Farmasi

Detection of Aflatoxin Content in Candlenut (Aleurites moluccana) Simplicia at Karang Penang Market using PDA (Potato Dextrose Agar) Method

2024-02-12T12:31:19+00:00

Candlenut (Aleurites moluccana) was a food ingredient widely used as a cooking spice. Candlenuts that were stored for too long rotted more easily and grew fungi, especially Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. These types of fungi could produce mycotoxin compounds which were dangerous when consumed by humans. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of aflatoxin content in candlenut (Aleurites moluccana) in the Karang Penang Sampang market. This research used total sampling. Candlenuts chosen as samples were all the candlenuts sold unwrapped by sellers in the Karang Penang market. This method used PDA media with the Pour Plate technique and an incubation time of 7 days. The results of the study showed 8 samples of candlenut with positive packaging containing the fungus Aspergillus niger with blackish-brown colonies and 1 sample of candlenut without positive packaging containing the fungus Aspergillus flavus with round yellowish-green colonies. In this study, it was concluded that the candlenuts circulating in the Karang Penang Sampang Market were positive for Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus.

Keywords: Soft Capsule, Increase Effectiveness, α-tocopherol, Vitamin E, Antioxidant

The Effectiveness of Vitamin E Soft Capsules as an Antioxidant

2024-03-28T13:36:13+00:00

Antioxidants inhibited the oxidation of other molecules and played an important role in maintaining a healthy body. Antioxidants were found in fruits, vegetables, all parts of plants, and were present in the body as enzymes or products of metabolism. Vitamin E referred to a large number of natural or synthetic compounds, with alpha-tocopherol being the most active and widely distributed form in nature. Alpha-tocopherol was the most active antioxidant form of vitamin E and served as the primary lipophilic antioxidant in plasma, membranes, and tissues. The most important function of vitamin E was its antioxidant capability, counteracting free radical attacks that could damage cells and cause various degenerative diseases. Additionally, antioxidants helped reduce the effects of photoaging on the skin, potentiated anti-aging and anti-inflammatory activity, increased the rate of wound healing, and helped maintain healthy eyes and the immune system. One form of vitamin E dosage form was a soft capsule, which had several advantages, including the ease of filling the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) in liquid form, higher production capacity, and formulation uniformity compared to gelatin tablets or hard capsules. Soft capsule preparations also had rapid API release, which could result in achieving therapeutic blood levels more quickly and achieving greater bioavailability. This study aimed to evaluate soft capsule dosage forms in enhancing the effectiveness of vitamin E as an antioxidant. The research utilized review articles sourced from national and international journals, as well as scientific journals. The results showed that vitamin E supplementation in soft capsules could increase its effectiveness as an antioxidant.
Keywords: Soft Capsule, Increase Effectiveness, α-tocopherol, Vitamin E, Antioxidant

A Comparative Study of Synthesis 3-(4-Methoxyfenil)propanehydrazide by Conventional Heating and Microwave Irradiation

2024-05-03T14:17:16+00:00

Previous studies had shown that ethyl p-methoxycinnamate (EPMS) had various bioactivities, such as analgesic and anti-inflammatory through COX inhibition. Due to its unique structure, this compound was modified into a selective COX-2 inhibitor. In this research, EPMS was isolated from Kaempferia galanga L. and used as a starting material to be reacted with hydrazine hydrate to obtain 3-(4-methoxyfenil)propanehydrazide. This synthesis was carried out using conventional heating and microwave irradiation. The microwave irradiation was chosen because of its potential to reduce reaction time and increase yield. Next, the crude product was purified using column chromatography to produce a pure product, where characterization and structural analyses of the compound were carried out using the TLC test, melting point test, IR, ¹H-NMR, and UV spectroscopy. The results showed that the product produced was 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propanehydrazide with a yield of 0,76% by conventional thermal heating and 7,90% by microwave irradiation.

Keywords: EPMC, Hydrazine Hydrate, 3-(4-Metoxyphenyl)propanehydrazide, Conventional Heating, Microwave Irradiation

Potential of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) as an Additional Therapy for Dengue Fever

2024-05-02T10:56:16+00:00

Dengue fever had been a global health problem for over five decades, especially in tropical and subtropical countries. It was caused by a viral infection that spread from mosquito to human. Natural sources had the potential to serve as an alternative therapy for dengue fever, such as Psidium guajava L. Its leaves contained several compounds and exhibited various bioactivities. This research aimed to explore the potential of Psidium guajava as an additional therapy for dengue fever patients. The method used was a narrative literature review that searched literature in primary data sources such as national and international journals through databases like PubMed and Scopus. The results reported that quercetin was one of the compounds found in Psidium guajava that affected dengue fever. It suppressed the intracellular replication of dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) and inhibited ATPase in DENV-4. Additionally, quercetin also stimulated stem cell factors in bone marrow stromal cells to produce thrombopoietin, which functioned to regulate platelet production in the spinal cord. Thus, Psidium guajava had the potential and effectiveness to be used as an alternative therapy for dengue fever.
Keywords: Dengue Fever, Guava, Quercetin, Thrombopoietin, Alternative Therapy

Prediction of the Potential of Benzoxazinone, 2-phenyl-4H-benzo[1,3]oxazin-4-one, and 2-[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)vinyl]-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one as New Anti-Tuberculosis

2024-05-03T13:44:36+00:00

Even though it had been almost five decades, the decline in the prevalence of tuberculosis had still been low due to the rise of drug resistance. Recently, benzoxazinone compounds had begun to gain potential as anti-tuberculosis agents because of their interesting structure and similarity to isoniazid, the most widely used TB drug, which had reportedly experienced many cases of resistance. This research tested the ability of the core compound benzoxazinone and its two derivatives to bind to the enoyl ACP-CoA receptor, which was responsible for the formation of mycobacterial walls. In silico tests were carried out using pkcsm to determine the pharmacokinetic profile, and molecular docking tests using Molegro Virtual Docker were conducted to determine the pharmacodynamic profile through binding to the enoyl ACP-CoA receptor. The selected receptors were downloaded from the protein data bank with the code 2IDZ. The research results showed that the three test compounds had good intestinal and skin absorption profiles, indicating that they could be administered orally or transdermally. The docking results, expressed by moldock score and rerank score, showed that the three test compounds had better potential compared to isoniazid. Thus, the test compounds could be developed as new anti-tuberculosis agents.

Keywords: Tubercolosis, Benzoxazinone, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Pkcsm, Molegro Virtual Docker