Context: Premature aging usually occurred due to free radicals reducing the skins’ physiological functions. Muntingia calabura, a plant containing rich antioxidants, has the potential to overcome this problem. Aims: To evaluate the antioxidant capacity of M. calabura in inhibiting the premature aging process, to be potentially developed into an antiaging active ingredient. Methods: The samples were extracted using ethanol 96%, and processed into n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol fractions, respectively. Total phenolic content was determined, followed by the evaluation of antioxidant capacity through DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assay. Further, anti-elastase was conducted using human neutrophil elastase as a skin degradation enzyme, followed by an anti-collagenase test. Finally, normal cell proliferation was also evaluated via the MTT method measuring cell viability on HDFa cells. Results: As the results, ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction, and ethanol fraction showed a strong antioxidant effect, having great capacity reducing DPPH, ABTS radicals, and also iron reduction, in contrast to n-hexane fraction that exhibited only weak activity. The antioxidant trend capacities were found directly correlated to total phenolic contents. Furthermore, the ethyl acetate fraction was found to have optimum activity in inhibiting elastase and collagenase enzymes, showing a similar impact on cell viability. Conclusions: The ethyl acetate fraction from M. calabura exhibits the prospect for further development to support its effectiveness as an active ingredient in antiaging cosmetics.

Paku atai plant (Angiopteris ferox Copel), specifically the tuber has been used empirically as an anticancer and antidote materials by Dayaknese in West Kutai, with limited scientific study. Thus, this research had been conducted to determine and evaluate the total phenolic, flavonoid content of this plant along with the antioxidant and toxicity profile. The research used several extracts’ solvents including extraction with ethanol (crude extract, CE) and subsequently partitioned with n-hexane (HF); ethyl acetate (EF) and ethanol aqueous (EAF). The resulted crude extract and fractions were then analyzed through colorimetric method to determine the phenolic and flavonoid total; with DPPH and FRAP to observe the antioxidant activity; and using BSLT method to evaluate the toxicity activity. The results showed that the EF fraction provided the strongest antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 13.79 μg/mL and iron reduction with FRAP value of 387.5±6.41 µM/g. However, a high correlation was observed between the antioxidant and the total phenolic content (r2 = 0.970 - 0.974) but little correlation in total flavonoid (r2 = 0.345 - 0.373). Furthermore, the EF (19.56±7.35) showed the highest toxicity activity followed by CE (22.42±2.10), HF (39.52±7.38), and EAF (41.75±5.10). Therefore, the paku atai tuber can be potentially developed as a natural antioxidant and anticancer material.

Context: Dermal aging is one of the events caused by a decrease in the structure of skin tissues due to various factors. Molineria latifolia is one of the plants empirically used in medicine and can be developed to treat dermal aging problems. Aims: To evaluate M. latifolia compounds as dermal antiaging, particularly in inhibiting the upregulation of collagenase, gelatinase, and hyaluronidase using an in silico. Methods: Ligands are 46 compounds from M. latifolia plant obtained from previous studies and native ligands and target proteins were generated via PubChem and RSCB protein database. In silico analyzes were performed using various parameters, namely drug like-ness, absorption, distribution, toxicity prediction, and molecular docking of compounds to the target proteins 2D1N (MMP-13), 1GKC (MMP-9), and 1FCV (hyaluronidase). Results: Drug-likeness showed that most compounds were suitable according to Lipinski's rule. Analysis of the absorption and distribution of compounds for each parameter gives a different pharmacokinetic profile according to the compound’s physicochemical properties. Quercetin and tricosanoic acid were mutagenic, and the compounds aviprin, azedarachin-C, and ubiquinone were carcinogenic genotoxic, and mutagenic. The results of the docking analysis showed that pomiferin, scandenin, mundulone, and rubratoxin had the most negative binding affinity when interacting with the target proteins 2D1N and 1GKC. Meanwhile, orcinol glucoside, orcinol glucoside B, tetrahydroxyflavanone, and sugiol were predicted to interact with the three (MMP-13, MMP-9, and hyaluronidase) target proteins. Conclusions: Specific compounds of M. latifolia were predicted to be developed as candidates for dermal antiaging, and further studies are required.

Curculigo latifolia (family Amaryllidaceae) is used empirically for medicinal purposes. It is distributed throughout Asian countries, especially Indonesia. This study aimed at standardizing the C. latifolia plant, analyzing its phytochemical profile, and evaluating its pharmacological effects. The powder from each organ (root, stem, and leaves) was standardized organoleptically and microscopically. Samples were extracted by graded maceration using hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. The extracts were determined for total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). Antioxidant (radical scavenging and metal ion reduction) and antityrosinase activities were determined by spectrophotometric methods. Extracts were analysed for phytochemical profiles by LC-ESI-MS. The highest TPC and TFC were found in the ethanolic extract of the root organ (68.632.97mg GAE/g) and the ethyl acetate extract of the stem (14.330.71mg QE/g extract). High antioxidant activities were found in the ethanolic root extract (20.420.33µg/mL) and ethanolic stem extract (45.650.77µg/mL) by DPPH and NO assays, respectively. The ion reduction activity (by CUPRAC assay) was most significant in the ethyl acetate stem extract (390.4214.49µmol GAEAC/g extract). Ethanolic root extract was the most active in inhibiting tyrosinase (IC₅₀ value of 108.5µg/mL). The correlation matrix between TPC and antioxidant activities showed a moderate to robust correlation, whereas the TPC and antityrosinase activity showed a robust correlation. The TFC and antioxidant or antityrosinase activities showed a weak to moderate correlation. The LC-ESI-MS data identified major phenols in the active extracts, including methyl 3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzoate, quercetin, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid-1, and curculigoside. Overall, this study suggests that extracts from the C. latifolia plant offer potent antioxidant and antityrosinase activities, allowing them to be used as natural antioxidants and candidates for skin-lightening compounds.