Masyudi, Khalisah, Saudah, Jailani, Irhamni, S. Nurman
The use of synthetic chemicals for treating diabetic wounds has not yet demonstrated full effectiveness in promoting wound healing. Diabetic wounds generally heal slowly and are often referred to as gangrene. Fungal infections are commonly found in these wounds, further delaying the healing process. Therefore, alternative therapeutic agents derived from natural products are needed, as they are generally safer, have fewer side effects, and can accelerate wound healing in an environmentally friendly manner. The capa plant (Blumea balsamifera L.) has the potential to act as a treatment for diabetic wounds and to inhibit fungal growth. The urgency of this research lies in developing the potential of local medicinal plants as new resources to replace synthetic chemicals that may cause adverse effects. This study also aims to explore additional benefits of medicinal plants traditionally used by communities for various diseases. This research was conducted through laboratory experiments, including the extraction of capa plant materials, phytochemical analysis of capa leaves, and antifungal assays comparing leaf and stem extracts using different solvents. The results showed that both leaf and stem extracts of capa were capable of inhibiting the growth of Candida albicans. The largest inhibition zone was observed in the stem extract using ethyl solvent (10 mm). The stem extract exhibited stronger antifungal activity than the leaf extract, and both extracts demonstrated moderate inhibitory effects comparable to the positive control antifungal medicine. These findings indicate that capa leaves and stems contain antifungal compounds and have the potential to be developed as active ingredients for diabetic wounds. © This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Banda Aceh, 23245, Indonesia; Department of Public Health, Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia; Master of Biology Education, Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Banda Aceh, 23245, Indonesia; Department of Biology, Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Banda Aceh, 23245, Indonesia; Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Infrastructure and Regional Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia; Department of Ship Engineering, Politeknik Pelayaran Malahayati, Jl. Laksamana Malahayati No.Km.19, Durung, Mesjid Raya, Aceh Besar, Aceh, 23381, Indonesia