Olusesan Ojo, Mokgadi P. Mphahlele, Edwin M. Mmutlane, Derek T. Ndinteh

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a global threat to human health, and its recent burden has necessitated an urgent need for new antibiotics to fight the growing negative impacts of AMR. Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn. is a medicinal plant used to treat bacterial infections, including diarrhea, tuberculosis (TB), and other respiratory infections in Africa. This study, therefore, assessed the antimicrobial effect and the cytotoxicity of isolated secondary metabolites from the hexane extract of V. paradoxa stem-bark against a panel of bacterial pathogens. After cold maceration, the resulting extract was purified using column chromatography on silica gel. The resazurin-based 96-well plate micro-dilution method was used to assess the antimicrobial activity of the isolated compounds. On further assay, the MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of compounds on the cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). The column fractionation led to the isolation of 11-hydroxy β-amyrin cinnamate (compound 1), α-amyrin cinnamate (compound 2), and sitosterol cinnamate (compound 3). All the compounds exhibited antibacterial activity against the tested pathogens, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.0625 – 1.0 mg/mL. Compound 3 showed the highest antibacterial activity against all bacterial strains (MICs; 0.0625 - 0.25 mg/mL). The compounds showed no remarkable cytotoxic properties (IC50; 77.82 ± 10.5 - 82.53 ± 4.07). As far as we know, the results described the antimicrobial activities of compounds 1-3 for the first time. These results provide scientific justification for the traditional uses of V. paradoxa in treating bacterial infections. The highest antibacterial effect of compound 3 highlights its potential as a lead compound.

Sciences of Phytochemistry

Godwin Ndarake Enin, Basil Nse Ita, Paul Sunday Thomas, Jude Efiom Okokon, Blessing Ofonime Lawson, Chidera Getrude Ohanaka

Maesobotrya barteri is widely used in Nigerian ethnomedicine to treat diabetes, arthritis, and infections. In this study, the methanol and aqueous leaf extracts' phytochemical constituents and antioxidant potentials were evaluated using standard procedures. At the same time, the enzyme inhibitory activity of methanol extract on α-amylase and α-glucosidase in rats was also investigated. The antioxidant properties of the extracts were evaluated by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing power (FRAP). Phytochemical screening of methanol and aqueous extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, and cardiac glycosides. Total phenolics and flavonoids of the extracts ranged from 0.04 to 3.18 mg of GAE/g and from 27.70 to 57.70 mg of QE/g, respectively. Antioxidant analysis showed IC50 values of DPPH (192.95, 196.04, and 17.19 µg/mL) and FRAP (30.48, 37.64, and 38.15 µg/mL) for the methanolic extract, aqueous extract, and ascorbic acid, respectively. Assessment of the methanolic extract against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes in rats at doses of 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg using starch, sucrose, and maltose as substrates, with acarbose as a reference drug, significantly reduced blood glucose levels (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that M. barteri leaf extract has antioxidant properties and inhibits both α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes in rats, likely due to the phytochemicals present in the extract.

Sciences of Pharmacy

Muhammad Fauzi, Juwita Ramadhani, Hasniah Hasniah

Education about the dangers of borax and formalin and training in making kits to detect borax and formaldehyde content are part of this activity. With the help of natural ingredients such as turmeric and papaya sap, people, especially housewives, can identify the formaldehyde and borax content themselves. The UNISKA MAB Banjarmasin Faculty of Pharmacy Community Service Team carries out community service in Semangat Dalam Village in Handil Bakti Barito Kuala, South Kalimantan. The methods used are lectures, questions and answers, and demonstrations. The results show that this activity can help overcome participants' limited knowledge about the dangers and how to identify formaldehyde and borax in food by using simple detection tools made from natural ingredients.

Kolaborasi Masyarakat

Nabila Ali Rghebi, Rima Farag Elmzughi, Reham Abubaker Alrgaei, Malak Amar Belal

Vitamins are essential for many bodily functions and must be obtained through food or supplements. Community pharmacists play an active role in educating patients about vitamins and supplements, guiding their safe use, and helping avoid potential drug-vitamin interactions. This study employed a cross-sectional design, targeting Libyan community pharmacists in Tripoli between August and November 2024, to assess their knowledge, attitudes, practices, and opinions regarding vitamin supplements. The selected participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, and the collected data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 27. Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between knowledge, attitude, practice, and opinion. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 200 pharmacists who participated, more than half were female (118, 59%), and over two-thirds (139, 69.5%) held a Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences as their highest qualification. Nearly two-thirds (130, 65%) had less than five years of work experience. Based on their self-assessment, 95 (47.5%) of the pharmacists felt moderately confident in their knowledge of vitamin supplements. Notably, the majority of community pharmacists scored above average in all four domains: knowledge (122, 61%), attitude (142, 71%), practice (126, 63%), and opinion (150, 75%). A significant negative correlation was found between knowledge and attitude (p < 0.05). Regarding the dispensing of vitamins without a prescription, 71 (35.5%) of community pharmacists usually dispensed them to 50% of their patients, with adult patients (136, 68%) being the largest age category. Additionally, 78 (39%) of pharmacists relied on laboratory test results before dispensing. Focused educational initiatives aimed at enhancing pharmacists' understanding and improving their dispensing practices are necessary.

Sciences of Pharmacy

Reza Pratama, Nadia Ushfuri Amini, Sri Mulyati Rahayu, Mohamad Isronijaya, Elli Fitria, Anna Ikhsan Hidayatullah

The adolescent phase, which is a transition period between childhood and adulthood, creates its own challenges with physical, emotional and social changes. The influence of mass media, especially social media, can lead to negative impacts, including the risk of sexual violence. Using educational and interactive methods, the socialization process involves students from various fields of study to provide vocational students with an understanding of the types of sexual violence, how to avoid it, and positive behavior in social media. The evaluation results through pre and post-tests indicate an increase in students' knowledge after the socialization. A 92% of the students understand that sexual violence can happen to anyone, and 100% of the students comprehend the importance of proper internet etiquette and the risks associated with irresponsible use of social media. From the results, it is evident that this approach is effective in raising students' awareness about the risks of sexual violence and the importance of parents' role in the use of social media.

Kolaborasi Masyarakat

Munir Alinu Mulki, Mally Ghinan Sholih, Marsah Rahmawati Utami, Dewi Pratiwi Purba Siboro

Antibiotics are substances or compounds that are either synthetically produced or naturally generated by microorganisms, especially fungi. They are used as inhibitors of other microorganisms. The use of antibiotics in humans is based on their minimal toxicity to the human body. Inaccurate and prolonged use of antibiotics can lead to the development of resistance. A step taken to minimize antibiotic resistance is the introduction of the 2023 PITIK (Penyuluhan Informasi Tentang Antibiotik) program. Thirty-three participants from the community around Kampung Rawa Panjang, Gang Pemuda, RT 01/RW 05, Kota Bekasi, attended this antibiotic education program. Education for the community was conducted using a cross-sectional approach and a questionnaire as an instrument. The results of questionnaire data analysis show that public understanding of the definition, how it works, side effects, how to purchase and how to use antibiotics correctly increased from 27.3% to 93.9%. Therefore, it can be concluded that this education program helps improve public awareness of the proper use of antibiotics.

Kolaborasi Masyarakat

Subba Tata Sape

The increasing resistance of bacteria to conventional antibiotics poses a global health challenge, emphasizing the urgent need to discover new antibacterial compounds to combat hard-to-treat infections. This study aims to evaluate the bactericidal activity of crude leaf extracts from the multi-medicinal plant Bacopa monnieri against six bacterial strains. The crude extracts, prepared at different concentrations (100, 200, and 300 µg/mL), were tested for efficacy using the agar well diffusion method. Among the tested extracts, the ethanol extract exhibited the highest bactericidal activity, followed by chloroform and hexane extracts. Notably, all three solvent extracts at 300 µg/mL were most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, with inhibition zones of 21.5 mm (ethanol), 16.12 mm (chloroform), and 10.3 mm (hexane). In contrast, the lowest antibacterial activity was observed against Proteus vulgaris, with inhibition zones of 15.3 mm (ethanol), 10.2 mm (chloroform), and 5.6 mm (hexane). These findings suggest that the ethanol extract of B. monnieri is a promising candidate for the development of novel antibacterial compounds.

Sciences of Phytochemistry

Lulus Mualimin, Mentari Sekar Arum

Cancer is a complex disease characterized by disruptions in cell regulation mechanisms, leading to abnormal or uncontrolled cell growth and the ability to spread to other parts of the body. The caspase-3 protein plays a crucial role in the apoptotic mechanism and is a key target in cancer therapy. Bioactive compounds from the brown alga Sargassum, such as fucoidan and fucoxanthin, show significant potential as anticancer agents through mechanisms including apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and metastasis inhibition. This study employed an in silico method to investigate the interaction between the natural ligands fucoidan and fucoxanthin and the target protein caspase-3, simulating their potential as anticancer drug candidates. The analysis revealed distinct interactions for each ligand with the target protein, as indicated by their binding affinity values. The interaction between fucoidan and caspase-3 resulted in a binding affinity value of ∆G -4.7 kcal/mol, which was lower in effectiveness compared to the interaction between fucoxanthin and caspase-3, with a binding affinity value of ∆G -7.7 kcal/mol. This suggests that fucoxanthin exhibits stronger anticancer activity through its interaction with caspase-3 compared to fucoidan. Meanwhile, toxicity tests showed that fucoidan has a lower toxicity profile than fucoxanthin, particularly in terms of LD₅₀ values and active/inactive toxicity parameters. These findings indicate that fucoxanthin has potential as anticancer drug candidates. Further research is needed to optimize their therapeutic efficacy and safety profiles.

Aquatic Life Sciences

Shanti Bhushan Mishra, Juhi Verma, Garima Sahu, Nishi Gupta

This study explored the safety and antidiabetic potential of a hydroalcoholic extract of Praecitrullus fistulosus fruits, along with qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses. The antidiabetic effect was evaluated using in vitro methods, including α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays, as well as an in vivo high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic model. Molecular docking studies were conducted to identify phytochemicals responsible for the antidiabetic effects. The fruit extract exhibited maximum inhibition of 52.06% and 58.10% for α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, respectively, at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. The extract also demonstrated a significant (p < 0.001) and dose-dependent antidiabetic effect at oral doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg in the tested animals. In silico analysis revealed that α-tocopherol exhibited the best docking pose, with a docking energy of -8.2 kcal/mol. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the hydroalcoholic extract of Praecitrullus fistulosus contains phytochemicals effective in controlling glucose levels. This study also validates the traditional use of Praecitrullus fistulosus fruits in managing diabetes.

Sciences of Pharmacy

Mubarak Muhammad Dahiru, Neksumi Musa, Enoch Buba Badgal

The therapeutic applications of medicinal plants in the treatment of various diseases can be attributed to their diverse phytochemical constituents. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition of aqueous and ethanol stem bark extracts of Detarium microcarpum. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to determine the presence and concentrations of phytochemicals, followed by the identification of phytoconstituents using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The aqueous extract was found to contain saponins (27.11 ± 0.22%) and flavonoids (47.33 ± 0.70% ), with alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, and terpenoids absent. In contrast, the ethanol extract contained alkaloids (10.78 ± 0.59%), saponins (45.11 ± 0.48%), glycosides (5.44 ± 0.48%), and flavonoids (11.00 ± 0.77%), while steroids and terpenoids were not detected. GC-MS analysis revealed 14 compounds in the aqueous extract and 20 in the ethanol extract. The major constituents of the aqueous extract included hydroperoxide, 1,4-dioxan-2-yl (58.32%), 1,2,3-benzenetriol (16.44%), and cis-p-coumaric acid (11.05%). In the ethanol extract, the predominant compounds were coumarin (29.41%), benzofuran (17.23%), and catechol (9.23%). The identified compounds may serve as potential synthetic templates for the development of novel therapeutic agents targeting various diseases. This study supports the ethnomedicinal use of D. microcarpum and provides a scientific basis for its role in traditional medical practices.

Sciences of Phytochemistry