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Piperine is a phenolic compound in black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn) and Piper longum. It has been used in traditional medicine and has many pharmacological properties. However, its poor solubility in water has hindered the development of drugs with piperine as the main ingredient. In this study, solid dispersions of piperine were formulated using hydrophilic polymer (PVP) and hydrophobic polymer (Eudragit) to improve its dissolution rate and antioxidant activity. The solid dispersions were prepared using solvent evaporation techniques with various ratios of pure piperine to polymer (2:1, 1:1 and 2:1, w/w). FESEM, DSC, XRD, and FT-IR characterized the resulting solid dispersions of piperine. The dissolution rates were measured in distilled water, and antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH and FRAP free radical scavenging assays. The physicochemical characterization results indicated that solid dispersions with PVP and Eudragit had properties different from those of pure piperine. The dissolution test results showed that the solid dispersions with PVP (2:1) and Eudragit (1:1) exhibited the best dissolution rates, at 40.32 and 38.02 %, respectively. Furthermore, PVP and Eudragit solid dispersions (2:1, 1:1) demonstrated a higher antioxidant capacity in scavenger DPPH and FRAP free radicals than other formulations. These findings suggest that both polymers can increase piperine solubility, leading to increased antioxidant activity. However, further studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infection has rapidly gained concern globally. This study aimed to investigate antibacterial and antibiofilm potential of 25 soil actinomycete strains against MDR strains including Escherichia coli strain M4, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain M19, Klebsiella pneumoniae strain M19, Bacillus subtilis strain M18, and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In this study, three actinomycete isolates encoded APM-7, APM-11, and APM-21 showed a strong and broad antibacterial spectrum. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of extracts derived from these isolates was ranged from 78 μg/ml to 10,000 μg/ml. In addition, The extracts also displayed significant biofilm inhibition values ranging from 6.06 to 72.4%. Based on the results, APM-21 extract had the best antibacterial and antibiofilm activities with the strongest values against MRSA. According to the nucleotide sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, APM-7, APM-11, and APM-21 strains possessed similar identities with Streptomyces cyaneus, Streptomyces coerulescens, and Streptomyces panayensis, respectively. Based on Liquid Chromatography Tandem-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, two antibacterial compounds, namely rancimanycin III, and enteromycin were detected in all those three extracts. Interestingly, APM-21 extract also contained two prominent antibacterial substances including paramagnetoquinone C, and caerulomycin I, suggesting their contribution to the most potential activities. Moreover, new insights were provided into a promising candidate for use in an active compound combating strategy to control MDR bacterial strain infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne pathogens may cause foodborne illness, which is among the major health problems worldwide. Since the therapeutic options for the treatment of the disease are becoming limited as a result of antibacterial resistance, there is an increasing interest to search for new alternatives of antibacterial. Bioactive essential oils from Curcuma sp become potential sources of novel antibacterial substances. The antibacterial activity of Curcuma heyneana essential oil (CHEO) was evaluated against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Shigella sonnei, and Bacillus cereus. The principal constituents of CHEO are ar-turmerone, β-turmerone, α-zingiberene, α-terpinolene, 1,8-cineole, and camphor. CHEO exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity against E. coli with a MIC of 3.9 µg/mL, which is comparable to that of tetracycline. The combination of CHEO (0.97 µg/mL) and tetracycline (0.48 µg/mL) produced a synergistic effect with a FICI of 0.37. Time-kill assay confirmed that CHEO enhanced the activity of tetracycline. The mixture disrupted membrane permeability of E. coli and induced cell death. CHEO at MIC of 3.9 and 6.8 µg/mL significantly reduced the formation of biofilm in E. coli. The findings suggest that CHEO has the potential to be an alternative source of antibacterial agents against foodborne pathogens, particularly E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC), which belongs to the Rutaceae family, is a plant widely used as a spice in traditional Batak cuisine around the Toba region‑Samosir, North Sumatra. The Batak people also use Z. acanthopodium to treat digestive problems, reduce pain, relieve diarrhea, as an aromatic ingredient, tonic, and increase appetite. Methods: This investigation analyzed the phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of Z. acanthopodium fruit essential oil. The phytochemical content was studied using total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and the essential oil’s antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro against DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS. Results: The results showed that the principal constituents of Z. acanthopodium fruit essential oil were D‑Limonene, Geranyl acetate,‑pinene, and α‑Ocimene. In addition, the TPC and TFC of the essential oil were relatively low, at 3.81 mg GAE/g sample and 11.42 mg QE/g sample, respectively. According to the DPPH assay results, the essential oil is effective as an antioxidant with an IC50 value of 28.37 ug/mL. However, the FRAP and ABTS assays did not showed antioxidant activity. The different results from antioxidant assays (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS) may be due to the various time of conducting the assay. The DPPH assay was done immediately after the essential oil extracting process, while the FRAP and ABTS assays were done 3 months later. Conclusion: The results indicated that the essential oil has high antioxidant properties and has the potential to be further studied for its pharmacological properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morinda citrifolia fruit (Noni) has been used as a folk medicine in several countries. Noni possessed various pharmacological activities such as; anticancer, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antarthritic, and antioxidants. The present study evaluated pharmacognostic properties, profiling of active constituent through High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and Liquid Chromatography- High Resolution Mass Spectrometer (LC-HRMS) run for quantitative and qualitative phytochemical analysis and determining angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor activity of Noni from three different locations. The physicochemical parameters of crude drugs and extracts met the requirement of Indonesian Herbal Pharmacopeia. Total phenol content was 2.16-3.08 mg GAE/g extract and total flavonoid content was 0.11 - 1.58 mg QE/g extract. HPTLC analysis revealed that scopoletin content in Noni was in the range of 0.44 - 0.51%. The results were also corresponding well with LC-HRMS fingerprint analysis. In addition, Noni fruit extract from Bogor potential exhibited activity in inhibiting ACE with an IC50 value of 206.26 μg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the tunability of a 3-D porous network in a freeze-dried silk fibroin/soursop seed (SF:SS) polymer composite bioadsorbent. Morphological, physical, electronic, and thermal properties were assessed using scanning electron microscopy, the BET N2 adsorption-desorption test, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). A control mechanism of pore opening--closing by tuning the SS fraction in SF:SS composite was found. The porous formation is apparently due to the amount of phytic acid as a natural cross-linker in SS. The result reveals that a large pore radius is formed using only 20% wt of SS in the composite, i.e., SF:SS (4:1), and the fibrous network closes the pore when the SS fraction increases up to 50%, i.e., SF:SS (1:1). The SF:SS (4:1) with the best physical and thermal properties shows an average pore diameter of 39.19 nm, specific surface area of 19.47 m²⋅g-1, and thermal stability up to ~450 °C. The removal of the organic molecule and the heavy metal was assessed using crystal violet (CV) dye and the Cu2+ adsorption test, respectively. The adsorption isotherm of both CV and Cu2+ on SF:SS (4:1) follows the Freundlich model, and the adsorption kinetic of CV follows the pseudo-first-order model. The adsorption test indicates that physisorption dominates the adsorption of either CV or Cu2+ on the SF:SS composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]