One indicator of antihypercholesterolemic candidates is their inhibitory activity on 3hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase enzyme. This study aimed to analyze the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activities of Cajanus cajan leaves, Zingiber officinale var Amarum and Zingiber officinale var Rubrum. C. cajan leaves and two types of Z. officinale were extracted using the maceration method with three solvents: distilled water, 70% ethanol and 96% ethanol. All nine types of resulted extracts were then analyzed for bioactive compounds and tested for the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity using the HMG-CoA reductase analysis kit (BioVision’s K588-100). It was carried out in vitro using a colorimetric microplate reader with a wavelength of 340 nm at 37°C. The results showed that the extracts contained flavonoids, tannins, saponins and steroids. The nine extracts showed inhibitory activities on the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme. The three extracts showed the highest inhibitory activity; 70% ethanolic Z. officinale var Amarum extract (47.87%), aqueous Z. officinale var Rubrum extract (40.62%) and 70% ethanolic C. cajan leaves extract (39.38%). These results indicate that the three extracts have a medium inhibitory level of HMG-CoA reductase. The study suggested that the three types of extracts could be used as antihypercholesterolemic candidates such as antihypercholesterolemic functional food.

A characteristic of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the inflammation of the respiratory pathway. Inflammatory regulators affected in COPD include cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Therefore, this systematic review aimed to investigate the biological activity of Indonesian medicinal plants as anti-inflammation through in vitro, in silico, and in vivo studies. A digital search was conducted using Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed online databases to find relevant articles by applying specific keywords related to the subject of interest. The results showed 18 studies that reported five Indonesian medicinal plants proven to inhibit inflammation regulation. The five plants were sambiloto (Andrographis paniculata), legetan warak (Adenostemma lavenia), kersen (Muntingia calabura), babadotan (Ageratum conyzoides), and sembung rambat (Mikania micrantha Kunth). In vitro studies, A. paniculata, A. lavenia, and M. calabura can suppress the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. In silico studies, compounds that have strong binding to bind inflammatory receptors are andrographiside contained in A. paniculata; ent-11α-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid contained in A. lavenia; 7-Hydroxyflavone contained in M. calabura; and 22,23-Dihydrospinasterol contained in A. conyzoides. In vivo studies, extracts of A. paniculata, M. calabura, A. conyzoides, and M. calabura can reduce inflammation in lung tissue in animal models (hamsters, mice, and rats). This systematic review might help to develop COPD treatment and build scientifically natural products from Indonesian medicinal plants for future investigations.

Background and Aim: Toxoplasma gondii is a unicellular coccidian parasite distributed globally and is an important zoonotic pathogen. Approximately 30% of the human population worldwide is chronically infected with T. gondii. The pathogenicity of this species depends on the type originating from the clonal population. Techniques for more accurately determining the type of T. gondii have recently been developed using genetic markers. Specifically, T. gondii has been typed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). This study aimed to identify sets of PCR-RFLP markers that have high power to discriminate genotyping of T. gondii and are easy to use and are easy to use. The objective of this study was to characterize virulent strain isolates of T. gondii by PCR-RFLP using 10 markers with DdeI. Materials and Methods: T. gondii tachyzoites (RH virulent strain) were derived from culture cells at the Indonesian Research Center for Veterinary Sciences. Genotyping was performed on T. gondii DNA extracted from cell cultured tachyzoites using 10 genetic markers of PCR-RFLP, namely, B1#1, B1#2, B1#3, SAG1#1, SAG1#2, P30, BAG1, ROP1, GRA1, and GRA7, with digestion using the restriction enzyme DdeI. Results: The 10 genes were amplified by PCR. Among them, three genetic markers, B1#3, ROP1, and GRA1, were genotyped by the PCR-RFLP using restriction enzyme DdeI. Overall, the findings showed that the specific RFLP profile of digestion of gene regions by DdeI could be used as a specific marker for the virulent biotype causative of toxoplasmosis. In addition, virulent strains of T. gondii can be easily detected by these markers. Conclusion: Three pairs of primers (B1#3, ROP1, and GRA1) with DdeI have proven useful for the diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis (virulent strain biotype I). This proposed method is relatively simple, rapid, cheap, and can be performed in most laboratories, providing a practical approach for the routine analysis of T. gondii strains.

Polyscias scutellaria can be planted as hedge plants at home. This plant has many advantages, one of which is a hair tonic that already has a patent number. To be used on an industrial scale, it is necessary to provide raw materials on a large scale, which can be done by planting in certain regions. The objective is that the empowerment of the PKK in Pasirwangi District, Garut will make the Pasirwangi sub-district one of the centers for producing P. scutellaria leaf raw materials. The activities carried out include educating on the use of medicinal plants, especially P. scutellaria and ginger, practicing training on planting techniques, cultivating them, and giving P. scutellaria cuttings and post-harvest processing techniques. This activity is an activity of the IPB Lecturer Homecoming Program in 2022 which is carried out in several stages. Evaluation and monitoring of cultivation executed two months after training. The evaluation results showed that there was an increase in knowledge related to the cultivation of P. scutellaria and participants cultivated P. scutellaria in their garden after the training was more than 90%. All of the participant’s responses to the training carried out stated that it was very useful and hoped that the activities would be sustainable.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize Dumb cane extract nanoemulsion for injection preparation and test its activity as an inflammation-inducing agent in rat intraplantar with IL-6 and TNF-alpha parameters in blood serum as well as the swelling response in paw. Methods: Nanoemulsion was made from an emulsion base of olive oil, coconut oil, tween 80 propylene glycol, and water for injection, as well as varying concentrations of Dumb cane extract (1%, 2%, and 4%) using vortex mixing and sonication methods. The characterization included particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index using the Zetasizer tool. Induction was carried out intraplantar in male rats. The parameters observed were the volume of swelling in paw and IL-6 and TNF-alpha in blood serum. Results: Dumb cane extract nanoemulsion concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 4% have particle size characteristics in the range of 20.3±0.17–30.1±0.68 nm, and zeta potential -31.4±1.59–33.1±1.33 mV. Dumb cane nanoemulsion can induce intraplantar inflammation with high IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels, significantly different from normal controls. Volume swelling occurred 4 h after intraplantar induction at a nanoemulsion concentration of 4%. Conclusion: Dumb cane extract nanoemulsion can be an alternative agent for inducing intraplantar inflammation in rat models.