BACKGROUND: The Passion Fruit (Passiflora sp.) that grows in the Indonesian region generally has three varieties, namely purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims.), red passion fruit (Passiflora ligularis Juss.), and yellow passion fruit (Passiflora verrucifera Lindl.). The passion fruit peel is an economic waste that has not been utilised optimally, but has many efficacious phytochemical contents. AIM: The objectives of this research are to examine scientifically hepatoprotective activity (with paracetamol-induced hepatotoxic) and nephroprotective activity (with gentamicin-induced nephrotoxic) from three varieties of the passion fruit (purple passion fruit peel extract, red passion fruit peel extract and yellow passion fruit peel extract) in the albino rat (Rattus norvegicus). METHODS: Three varieties of passion fruit peels were extracted by maceration method. The experimental animals used were the albino rat (Rattus norvegicus). Hepatoprotective activity was done by the liver biochemical (alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase) analysis with paracetamol (hepatotoxic compound) induced after 10 days of treatment with extract. Nephroprotective activity was done by the kidney biochemical (urea and creatinine) analysis with gentamicin (nephrotoxic compound) induced after 10 days of treatment with extract. RESULTS: The hepatoprotective activity for positive control was similar to the 250 mg of purple passion fruit peel extract per kg of body weight, 250 mg of red passion fruit peel extract per kg of body weight, and 500 mg of yellow passion fruit peel extract per kg of body weight. The nephroprotective activity for positive control (50 mg of silymarin per kg of body weight) was similar to the 250 mg of purple passion fruit peel extract per kg of body weight, 500 mg of red passion fruit peel extract per kg of body weight, and 500 mg of yellow passion fruit peel extract per kg of body weight. CONCLUSIONS: The extracts were shown hepatoprotective activity and nephroprotective activity with a dose-dependent activity. The hepatoprotective activity and nephroprotective activity of purple passion fruit peel extract were the best compared to red passion fruit peel extract and yellow passion fruit peel extract.

BACKGROUND: Technology has provided a type of facility in the world that currently makes the world like a virtual globe. One of the technologies currently used by humans is gadgets. Generally, children and adolescents nowadays often use gadget excessively. They use it excessively which may affect their social and emotional functions. AIM: This study aims to determine the relationship between the duration of playing gadget and mental-emotional state of elementary school students. METHODS: This study uses Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) which contains 25 questions that can be used for children aged 8 to 16 years. This research was conducted in August 2018 with fourth-grade students of Public Elementary School and Private Elementary School Medan as respondents. This study uses a cross-sectional study method with the chi-square test as a statistical hypothesis test. The number of respondents in this study was 103 students consist of 73 students of Public Elementary School and 30 students of Private Elementary School Medan. RESULTS: The results of this study found a relationship between the duration of playing gadgets on mental-emotional at elementary school students with a probability value of 0.0001 (p < 0.05) and the relationship between the frequency of using gadgets and mental-emotional with a probability value of 0.001 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant relationship between mental emotional and the duration of playing gadgets and the frequency of using gadgets elementary school students.

Traditional medicine is currently being explored and developed widely by various countries because its cost effectiveness and reduced side effects. The green betel (Piper betle Linn.) and the red betel (Piper crocatum Ruiz and Pav.) are plants from the same Piper genus that are widely cultivated in Indonesia and have various phytochemical properties and pharmacological effects. The objective of this research is to determine the cytotoxicity of green leaves and red betel leaves. This research was conducted in two main stages: first, the extraction and preparation through the soxhletation method; second, a cytotoxicity test through the brine shrimp (Artemia salina Leach) lethality test (BSLT). The results showed that there were lethal concentration 50 % (LC50) value in both green betel leaves ethanolic extract and red betel leaves ethanolic extract, with 44.975 μg per mL and 31.556 μg per mL, respectively. The red betel (leaves ethanolic extract has a higher cytotoxicity than green betel (leaves ethanolic extract which can be seen from the lower lethal concentration of 50% (LC50) value. The difference in cytotoxicity is due to differences in plant varieties that cause variations in phytochemical content which affects the pharmacological effects. The green betel leaves ethanolic extract and the red betel leaves ethanolic extract are cytotoxic and have potential anticancer properties.

Both broccoli and cauliflower are plants that are widely cultivated and consumed. The vegetable also contains Nitrite and Nitrite, which have a negative impact on human health because of the carcinogenic effect. Levels of Nitrite and Nitrate in vegetable are dependent on several factors, one of them is fertilization. The objective of this research is to determine the levels of Nitrite and Nitrate in broccoli and cauliflower without fertilization and with fertilization (natural and chemical). Samples were planted broccoli and cauliflower with different fertilization treatment. Determination of Nitrite and Nitrate levels were done by the colorimetric method (visible spectrophotometric) by using N-(1-Naphthyl) Ethylenediamine Dihydrochloride and Sulfanilic Acid as the dyes and measured at the maximum absorbance wavelength (540 nm) and on the operating time between 11 minutes to 18 minutes. Nitrite and Nitrate levels in various fertilization treatments of broccoli and cauliflower were different significantly. Nitrite and Nitrate levels in broccoli and cauliflower without fertilization are lower than Nitrite and Nitrate levels in broccoli and cauliflower with fertilization. Nitrite and Nitrate levels in broccoli and cauliflower with natural fertilizer fertilization are lower than Nitrite and Nitrate levels in broccoli and cauliflower with chemical fertilizer fertilization.

Objective: Crustacean shell waste is not currently used to its full potential. Most waste from crustaceans used in food pollutes the environment. Widely found in crab shell waste and shrimp shell waste, chitosan is a modification of chitin compounds. This study aims to utilize crustacean shell waste (crab shell waste and shrimp shell waste) as a natural adsorbent against heavy metals and dyes in the form of chitosan. Methods: This study includes the steps of extracting chitosan from crab shell waste and shrimp shell waste, followed by adsorption capacity tests against heavy metals (mercury and arsenic) and dyes (tartrazine and amaranth). Results: Chitosan sourced from both crab shell waste and shrimp shell waste met the physical and chemical characteristic requirements, and the yield was 28.19% and 18.33%, respectively. The adsorption capacity against heavy metals and dyes from crab shell waste chitosan ranged from 43.4% to 55.6% and the shrimp shell waste chitosan ranged from 50.8% to 60.2%. Conclusion: Crustacean shell waste can be processed into chitosan, which is valuable and can be used as a natural adsorbent against heavy metals and dyes for wastewater treatment in several industrial sectors.

Dragon fruit leaves extract contains various phytochemicals, namely: alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, steroids, and terpenoids. Diverse phytochemical content allows the dragon fruit leaves extract to have antibacterial activity. The objectives of this research were to test antibacterial activity of dragon fruit leaves extract against meningitis bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes). Dragon fruit leaves extract was obtained by maceration. Antibacterial activity test was done by the paper disc diffusion method with ceftriaxone as the positive control and dimethylsulfoxide as the negative control. Antibacterial activity of red dragon leaves extract with concentration 600 μg/mL and white dragon fruit leaves extract with concentration 800 μg/mL were not show significantly different antibacterial activity from ceftriaxone with concentration 10 μg/mL against meningitis bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes). The results prove that the red dragon fruit leaves extract was more potential antibacterial activity than white dragon fruit leaves extracted against meningitis bacterial (Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes).