Piper betle (L) is a popular medicinal plant in Asia. Plant leaves have been used as a traditional medicine to treat various health conditions. It is highly abundant and inexpensive, therefore promoting further research and industrialization development, including in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Articles published from 2010 to 2020 were reviewed in detail to show recent updates on the antibacterial and antifungal properties of betel leaves. This current review showed that betel leaves extract, essential oil, preparations, and isolates could inhibit microbial growth and kill various Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as fungal species, including those that are multidrug-resistant and cause serious infectious diseases. P. betle leaves displayed high efficiency on Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The ratio of MBC/MIC indicated bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects of P. betle leaves, while MFC/MIC values showed fungicidal and fungistatic effects. This review also provides a list of phytochemical compounds in betel leaves extracts and essential oils, safety profiles, and value-added products of betel leaves. Some studies also showed that the combination of betel leaves extract and essential oil with antibiotics (streptomycin, chloramphenicol and gentamicin) could provide potentiating antibacterial properties. Moreover, this review delivers a scientific resume for researchers in respected areas and manufacturers who want to develop betel leaves-based products.

Honey is an apiary product with various medicinal properties resulting from its bioactive compounds. Here, we aimed to determine the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the Indonesian Apis cerana honey extracts and their correlation with total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). We extracted ethyl acetate-n-hexane and two types of ethanolic extracts from crude honey. Phenols and flavonoid content were calculated using spectroscopy. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, and it was reflected via the antioxidant activity index (AAI). An agar diffusion test was used to test the antimicrobial activity. The ethyl acetate extract of the Karangasem honey provided the highest amount of phenolic and flavonoid content, and the strongest antioxidant activity using DPPH and FRAP assays. The ethanolic honey extracts were active against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli; in this regard, the strongest effect was noticed from the Singaraja honey extract. The positive significant correlations between TPC and AAI were observed in all samples. Similar results also appeared between phenolic and flavonoid compounds and their antibacterial activity in most of the tested samples. In our study, honey extracts possessed antioxidant and antibacterial activities that were mostly related to the qualitative and quantitative properties of phenols and flavonoids. Geographical origin brought variations in the phytochemical profiles and bioactivities of honey.

Before the availability of a vaccine, Indonesian population relied on traditional medicines to prevent COVID-19. Any species used by indigenous people could lead to further investigations in modern pharmacology, to preserve ancient knowledge, and to plan for plants’ conservation. The study aimed to discover and record species, methods of preparation, route of administration, and motivation in using medicinal plants by the Indonesian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants of survey were selected from the people who live in Java and Bali for responding to an online structured questionnaire. Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) was employed in the quantitative analysis of the collected data. The pharmacological relevance of the five plants with the highest RFC was further reviewed. The results showed that respondents used 59 plants from 28 families. Five species with the highest RFC were Curcuma longa (0.707), Zingiber officinale (0.674), Cymbopogon citratus (0.269), Kaempferia galanga (0.174), and Curcuma zanthorrhiza (0.165). Most plants were prepared by boiling (77.97%) and administered orally as a single ingredient or mixed with other herbals. Respondents believed that the plants were beneficial as immune-booster (71.26%), maintain good health (24.85%) and stamina (12.28%), and prevent viral infection, including COVID-19 (5.39%). The most commonly used plants might be scientifically based to boost immunity. However, their usage against COVID-19 and the medicinal value of herbal mixtures should be further investigated.

Antioxidant agents are essential for the body due to its ability to scavenge free radicals. Medicinal plants contain phytochemicals that act as antioxidants. The current research aimed to determine the total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity of Pereskia bleo leaves extracts from various solvents with different polarities. The nonpolar solvent (n-hexane) was used as the first step of extraction and its residues were then macerated using semi-polar (ethyl acetate) and polar (ethanol 96%) solvents consecutively. The TFC was determined using the colorimetric method while antioxidant activity was examined through the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Antioxidant activity was presented as Inhibitory Concentration 50 (IC₅₀) and Antioxidant Activity Index (AAI). It is noticeable that among analyzed extracts, the ethyl acetate extract of P. bleo leaves contained the highest flavonoid content (15.052 ± 0.172 g quercetin equivalent/100 g extract). Furthermore, the greatest antioxidant activity was obtained from n-hexane extract with the value of IC₅₀ and AAI being 217.307 ppm and 0.230, respectively. Pearson coefficient correlation (r) between TFC and AAI was -0.106. The current study concluded that P. bleo leaves extracts using solvents with different polarities showed variation in TFC values and antioxidant activity. Moreover, TFC was not the main contributor to the antioxidant activity of P. bleo leaves extracts.

Aromatherapy has been used for centuries to maintain body and mental health. In aromatherapy, the inhalation of essential oil provides physical and psychological benefit due to its volatile bioactive compounds. The current study was aimed to determine the effect of the inhalation of Alpinia galanga essential oil in mice using forced swim test. The refractive index, solubility, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometry (GC-MS) profile of AGEO were also investigated. The essential oil from Alpinia galanga showed an anti-depressive-like effect and it was as strong as the positive control (Lavandula angustifolia essential oil). The GC-MS analysis discovered some antidepressant compounds in the oil such as eucalyptol, fenchone, and α-terpineol.