Soft corals are well-known as excellent sources of marine-derived natural products. Among them, members of the genera Sarcophyton, Sinularia, and Lobophytum are especially attractive targets for marine natural product research. In this review, we reported the marine-derived natural products called cembranoids isolated from soft corals, including the genera Sarcophyton, Sinularia, and Lobophytum. Here, we reviewed 72 reports published between 2016 and 2020, comprising 360 compounds, of which 260 are new compounds and 100 are previously known compounds with newly recognized activities. The novelty of the organic molecules and their relevant biological activities, delivered by the year of publication, are presented. Among the genera presented in this report, Sarcophyton spp. produce the most cembranoid diterpenes; thus, they are considered as the most important soft corals for marine natural product research. Cembranoids display diverse biological activities, including anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory. As cembranoids have been credited with a broad range of biological activities, they present a huge potential for the development of various drugs with potential health and ecological benefits. Graphic

Marine invertebrates have been reported to be an excellent resource of many novel bioactive compounds. Studies reported that Indonesia has remarkable yet underexplored marine natural products, with a high chemical diversity and a broad spectrum of biological activities. This review discusses recent updates on the exploration of marine natural products from Indonesian marine invertebrates (i.e., sponges, tunicates, and soft corals) throughout 2007–2020. This paper summarizes the structural diversity and biological function of the bioactive compounds isolated from Indonesian marine invertebrates as antimicrobial, antifungal, anticancer, and antiviral, while also presenting the opportunity for further investigation of novel compounds derived from Indonesian marine invertebrates.

Chitosan has been widely used as an excipient in the pharmaceutical industries, due to its biodegradable, biocompatible, low toxicity, and mucoadhesive properties. Chitosan nanoparticles have been extensively investigated for delivery of drugs, herbal products, proteins or peptides and genes. The particle size of chitosan nanoparticles has an important effect on their properties in its pharmaceutical application. Smaller particle size can entrap higher concentration of therapeutic agents, improve drug stability and its bioavailability, and provide sustained delivery. Although diverse efforts have been made to obtain the chitosan nanoparticles and its potential pharmaceutical applications, optimization of the fabricating conditions and the comprehensive properties of the resultant chitosan nanoparticles is still an ongoing important study subject. In this review, we will describe several factors that affect chitosan nanoparticle formation specifically in ionic gelation method, such as chitosan characteristic, i.e. degree of deacetylation, molecular weight, and the ratio of chitosan-crosslinker, type and concentration of crosslinker, mixing procedure, and condition. We will also give an overview of the characterization process of the chitosan nanoparticles.

Aims: This study aimed to develop an anti-aging nanoformulation with Curcuma heyneana extract as bioactive substance. Background: Curcuma heyneana Valeton & Zipj extract has been proven in previous research to have antioxidant, anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties, which makes it a potential bioactive material for anti-ageing and sunscreen cosmetic products. Phytoantioxidants need to penetrate into deeper skin layers to ensure effectivity. Thus, a transdermal delivery system is needed to deliver the extract to a deeper skin layer. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the permeability and anti-ageing activity of liposomal and ethosomal formulations of C. heynena rhizome ethanolic extract. Methods: In this study, C. heyneana extract was loaded into a phospholipid vesicular system in the form of liposome and ethosome formulations using the ethanolic injection method. The anti-ageing activity was assessed by analyzing the epidermal thickness, number of sunburn cells, distance between collagen fibers, and number of fibroblasts. While the histologic specimen scoring was carried out for the in vivo penetration study. Results: The ethosomal formulation had been found to have better penetration ability since it was able to reach the lower dermis area compared to the liposomes, which only reached the upper dermis. The ethosomal formulation of C. heyneana extract exhibited a better anti-ageing activity based on the parameters of epidermal thickness, sunburn cell count, fibroblast count, and the distance between collagen fibres in rat skin histology. Conclusion: Ethosomes have been found to be a more proficient carrier system for transdermal delivery of C. heyneana extract compared to liposomes. Meanwhile, their penetration correlated with the effectivity of the formulation, suggesting that the vesicular system enhanced the penetration ability of the extract.