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Curcuma xanthorrhiza is a species of the genus Curcuma which is a medicinal ingredient in high demand in Indonesia and other countries. Chemical compounds such as flavonoids and their diverse bioactivity have triggered research that prioritizes quality and efficiency. This study was designed to optimize the extraction solvent in producing flavonoids from the rhizome of C. xanthorrhiza based on a simplex centroid design using Design Expert 13.0. Extractor solvents (water, acetone, ethanol, and methanol), as well as their combinations, were studied to test the total flavonoid content using the calorimetric aluminum chloride method by spectrophotometer. The experimental results with the special cubic model are a good and reliable fit for recovering flavonoids. The optimal conditions obtained were highly accurate at the desirability value of 1.00 with a mixed solvent of methanol (0.445) and ethanol (0.555), which resulted in total flavonoid content of 144.665 mg quercetin equivalent per gram dry weight. Methanol and ethanol combined can be an effective solvent option for extracting high amounts of active compounds (especially flavonoids) in C. xanthorrhiza rhizome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcuminoid is the main compound found in the Curcuma xantorrhiza rhizome. C. xantorrhiza plant which in Indonesia is known as temulawak is an herbal plant that is traditionally used to cure hepatitis, increase stamina, and as an anti-cholesterol. To enhance the stability, solubility and activity of the curcuminoid, should be developed into a product nanoparticle. The purpose of this study was to characterize nanocurcuminoids from ethanol extracts from the C. xantorrhiza rhizome loaded by chitosan and alginic acid, and its antioxidant activity test. The nanocurcuminoid formulation method uses ionic gelation. Chitosan nanocurcuminoid is made by mixing curcuminoid solution and chitosan solution, then adding sodium tripolyphosphate (Na-TPP). Meanwhile, alginic nanocurcuminoids are made by mixing a solution of curcuminoids and alginic acid solutions, which are then added to calcium ions. The activity of the nanocurcuminoid products obtained was tested as an antioxidant activity by the DPPH method (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl). The results showed that chitosan nanocurcuminoid can be obtained in the addition of chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate having a particle size of 251.8 to 874.3 nm, polydispersion index (PI) 0.104 to 0.376, with a zeta potential of +19.4 to +30.8 mV. Alginic nanocurcuminoid can be formulated in the addition of alginic acid and calcium chloride having a particle size range of 161.6 to 210 nm, PI 0.115 to 0.444, with a zeta potential of -12.8 to -27.8 mV. The morphology of nanocurcuminoid particle products was a spherical surface. Chitosan nanocurcuminoid and alginic nanocurcuminoid showed higher antioxidant activity than original curcuminoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is the second normal of vaginal mucosal infection after bacterial that influencing right around 70%-75% of women once in a lifetime. Azoles antibiotics are used in treatment for VVC but limited because cause drug resistance in patients. Therefore, today need for new antifungal agents for Candida albicans infection that safe and without side effect. This article reviews Indonesian medicinal plants related to the antifungal activity and mechanisms of action against C. albicans. The searches for this review were conducted via the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, online Science Direct, Science and Technology Index. The document relevant analyzed and included in the study. Almost 34 medicinal plants used for anti-Candida in Indonesia were reported. About 5.88% and 94.12% of Indonesian medicinal plants were significant and weak as an anti-Candida activity, respectively. The plants with the greatest anti-Candida activity were Curcuma xanthorrhiza and Syzygium aromaticum. The anti-Candida action involved disruption of hyphae production, membrane permeabilization, cell wall, biofilm formation, envelope, and filament formation. These results contribute to the drug discovering of the anti-Candida from Indonesian medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A native-feather-degrading thermophilic anaerobe was isolated from a geothermal hot stream in Indonesia. Isolate AW-1, identified as a member of the species Fervidobacterium islandicum, was shown to degrade native feathers (0.8%, w/v) completely at 70 °C and pH 7 with a maximum specific growth rate (0.14 h–1) in Thermotoga-Fervidobacterium (TF) medium. After 24 h of culture, feather degradation led to an increase in free amino acids such as histidine, cysteine and lysine. Moreover, nutritionally essential amino acids such as tryptophan and methionine, which are rare in feather keratin, were also produced as microbial metabolites. A homomultimeric membrane-bound keratinolytic protease (>200 kDa; 97 kDa subunits) was purified from a cell extract of F. islandicum AW-1. The enzyme exhibited activity toward casein and soluble keratin optimally at 100 °C and pH 9, and had a half-life of 90 min at 100 °C. The enzyme showed higher specific activity for the keratinous substrates than other proteases and catalyzed the cleavage of peptide bonds more rapidly following the reduction of disulfide bridges in feather keratin by 10 mM dithiothreitol. Therefore, the enzyme from F. islandicum AW-1 is a novel, thermostable keratinolytic serine protease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]