Articles

Synthesis, Characterization, and Antifungal Activity Test of Nanosilver in Body Lotion Preparation

Nanosilver is a nanoparticle known for its good antifungal ability. This study aims to determine the synthesis process and characterization of nanosilver produced and the antifungal activity of nanosilver in body lotion preparations. Body lotion in this study was made using a body lotion base which includes stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, TEA, glycerin, olive oil and distilled water. F1, F2, and F3 have nanosilver content of 10%, 15% and 20%, respectively. F4, as the positive control, contained methylparaben and F5 as a negative control. The body lotion produced in this study has a colour, aroma and texture that panellists prefer. The body lotion produced does not irritate the skin, is homogeneous, has good spreadability and has a pH value of 7. Nanosilver in this study was synthesized using a chemical reduction method with sodium citrate as a reducer and stabilizer. The synthesized nanosilver was characterized using a Transmission electron Microscope (TEM) and UV-Vis spectrophotometer to determine the nanosilver’s shape, size and stability. The nanosilver produced has a round shape with an average particle diameter of 34.793 nm and has good stability because it has a wavelength absorption peak that is not large. Namely, at week-0, nanosilver has an absorption peak at a wavelength of 415.20 nm, and week-8 has an absorption peak at a wavelength of 423 nm. The antifungal activity test using the direct microscope count (DMC) method was conducted for eight weeks. Until week 8, it showed that each formulation experienced an increase in fungal hyphae, reaching 34.4% for F1, 21.2% for F2, 19.8% for F3, 16.8% for F4 and 46% for F5. From the results of this study, it can be seen that nanosilver can suppress fungal activity in body lotion preparations.

Cassia tora Linn. – A Pharmacological Review

Cassia tora Linn. is one of the widely  used plants  in ethnic and traditional systems of medicine. A popular species in the genus Cassia, its therapeutic effects on ocular system, integumentary system, hepato pancreatic disorders, gastric system have been documented since centuries and demonstrated through pharmacological experiments. The efficacy of the seeds and leaves may be attributed to presence of anthraquinones glycosides phenolic glycosides, sennosides and flavonoids.  Cassia tora need to evaluated for its unexplored health benefits through new scientific investigations in tackling emerging diseases and life style disorders.