Search Results (23)

Background: Indonesia launched a nationwide school-based HPV immunization program in August 2023. Despite this, regional disparities in vaccine uptake persist. Therefore, we undertook a study in North Sumatra Province to assess HPV vaccination coverage and analyze the main factors affecting the uptake of HPV vaccination. Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods approach and was carried out in Medan and Deli Serdang of North Sumatra Province. Quantitative data were used to examine HPV coverage rates among school-aged girls in 2024, while qualitative interviews with parents, teachers, and health officers explored administrative, social, and behavioral barriers and facilitators. Results: In 2024, HPV vaccine coverage in Deli Serdang reached 62.09%, while Kota Medan lagged behind at just 27.20%. High-coverage schools in the Galang subdistrict benefited from proactive engagement between Puskesmas (community health clinics) and parents. In contrast, lower-coverage areas experienced logistical and communication challenges. Parents expressed a preference for face-to-face communication over written consent forms and emphasized the importance of clear, empathetic messaging. Conclusions: The stark contrast in coverage—particularly the low uptake in urban Kota Medan—highlights the need for more responsive and localized implementation strategies. Strengthening direct communication, addressing administrative inefficiencies, and fostering trust through tailored community engagement are critical. These findings suggest a need for targeted improvements in urban settings and further research across diverse regions to inform policy development and strategies for improved coverage of HPV vaccinations. Full article

The c-Myc protein, a key regulator of cell proliferation, growth, and apoptosis in B-cell lymphocytes, is frequently dysregulated in Burkitt’s lymphoma. Zingiberaceae plants—galangal (Alpinia galanga), black turmeric (Curcuma aeroginosa), black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora), phlai lueang (Zingiber montanum), and phlai dum (Zingiber ottensii)—are traditionally used as herbal remedies and may serve as natural anti-lymphoma agents. In this study, extracts from these five plants were screened for cytotoxicity against Raji and Daudi lymphoma cell lines and compared with their effects on normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Galangal extract exhibited the strongest cytotoxic effects on lymphoma cells. Its major bioactive compounds, galangin and 1′-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), showed selective cytotoxicity, with ACA being more potent. ACA significantly suppressed both c-Myc and phosphorylated c-Myc (p-c-Myc) protein levels and induced dose-dependent apoptosis in lymphoma cells. Cell cycle analysis revealed arrest at specific phases, supporting its anti-proliferative action. Furthermore, network pharmacology and pathway enrichment analyses implicated ACA in the modulation of oncogenic PI3K-Akt and MAPK pathways. These findings highlight ACA as a promising plant-derived therapeutic candidate for lymphoma, acting through c-Myc suppression, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis induction. Full article

Buddha’s hand, citron, and galangal are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical fields. In this study, the type of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae addition, pH, extract content, and fermentation temperature were used as the investigating factors, and the sensory scores, alcohol, reducing sugar, total phenol content, and total flavonoid content of fermented wine were used as the investigating indexes. The fermentation conditions of fermented wine were optimized using the Box-Behnken design-response surface method combined with the entropy weighting method; HS-SPME-GC-MS performed the compositional analyses. The results demonstrated that the wine made from Buddha’s hand, citron, and galangal exhibited a unique aroma, seamlessly blending herbal and fruity notes. This product contained components at relatively high concentrations that are known to possess potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and sleep-promoting properties, among others. These findings provide a valuable foundation for the further development and resource utilization of this innovative product. Full article

Objective: This study aimed to develop and characterize the physicochemical properties of a self-emulsion drug delivery system (SNEDDS) incorporating galangal extract (GE) and lemongrass oil (LGO). Then, to develop mouthwash powders containing GE- and LGO-loaded SNEDDS (GL-mouthwash powder) as a promising alternative for preventing and treating denture stomatitis. Methods: The solubility of GE in various vehicles was determined. Subsequently, pseudo-ternary phase diagrams of the different ingredients, oil (LGO), surfactant (Tween^® 80), and co-surfactant (Propylene glycol) were selected to develop the SNEDDS. Then, SNEDDS containing GE and LGO (GL-SNEDDS) were prepared and characterized. The optimized liquid GL-SNEDDS was transformed into GL-mouthwash powder by absorbing onto mannitol and blending with a sweetener. Subsequently, various evaluations including drug recovery, moisture content, emulsification time, stability, anti-Candida activity, and in vitro cytotoxicity were performed. Results: The developed SNEDDS formulation improved GE and LGO solubility. The optimized GL-SNEDDS exhibited a small droplet size of 148.2 ± 2.1 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.11 ± 0.03 and a zeta potential of 2.14 ± 0.11 mV. In addition, the GL-mouthwash powder demonstrated a high drug recovery of >80% with a low moisture of <10% and exhibited greater physicochemical stability under accelerated conditions. The developed GL-mouthwash powder rapidly formed a stable nanoemulsion within 2 min after reconstitution. Interestingly, GL-mouthwash powder exhibited strong anti-Candida activity with no toxicity to human fibroblast cells, which demonstrated superior biocompatibility relative to existing commercial products. Conclusions: These findings suggest that GL-mouthwash powder has potential as an alternative prevention and treatment of oral Candida infection. Full article

Galangal (Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd) and bitter ginger (Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe) are aromatic rhizomatous plants that are typically used for culinary purposes. These rhizomatous plants have many biological properties and the potential to be beneficial for pharmaceutics. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, with a specific focus on acne-causing bacteria, as well as the phytochemical constituents, of different parts of galangal and bitter ginger. The rhizomes, stems, and leaves of galangal and bitter ginger were separately dried for absolute ethanol and methanol extractions. The extracts were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity using a DPPH radical scavenging assay (0.005–5000 μg/mL), antimicrobial activity against acne-causing bacteria (0.50–31.68 mg/mL), and in vitro cytotoxicity toward human keratinocytes and fibroblasts (62.5–1000 μg/mL), as well as analyses of bioactive phytochemicals via GC-MS and LC-MS/MS (500 ppm). The ethanol and methanol extracts of bitter ginger and galangal’s rhizomes (BRhE, BRhM, GRhE, and GRhM), stems (BStE, BStM, GRhE, and GRhM), and leaves (BLeE, BLeM, GLeE, and GLeM), respectively, showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The extracts of all parts of bitter ginger and galangal were greatly antioxidative with 0.06–1.42 mg/mL for the IC₅₀ values, while most of the extracts were strongly antimicrobial against C. acnes DMST 14916, particularly BRhM, BRhE, GRhM, and GRhE (MICs: 3.96–7.92 mg/mL). These rhizome extracts had also antimicrobial activities against S. aureus TISTR 746 (MICs: 7.92–31.68 mg/mL) and S. epidermidis TISTR 518 (MICs: 7.92–15.84 mg/mL). The extracts of bitter ginger and galangal rhizomes were not toxic to HaCaT and MRC-5 even at the highest concentrations. Through GC-MS and LC-MS/MS analysis, phytochemicals in bitter ginger rhizome extracts, including zerumbone, tectorigenin, piperic acid, demethoxycurcumin, and cirsimaritin, and galangal rhizome extracts, including sweroside and neobavaisoflavone, were expected to provide the antioxidant and anti-microbial activities. Therefore, the results suggest that the bitter ginger and galangal extracts could be natural anti-acne compounds with potential for pharmaceutic, cosmetic, and aesthetic applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: This review aims to provide a detailed understanding of the current evidence on Alpinia officinarum Hance (A. officinarum) and its potential therapeutic role in central nervous system (CNS) disorders. CNS disorders encompass a wide range of disorders affecting the brain and spinal cord, leading to various neurological, cognitive and psychiatric impairments. In recent years, natural products have emerged as potential neuroprotective agents for the treatment of CNS disorders due to their outstanding bioactivity and favourable safety profile. One such plant is A. officinarum, also known as lesser galangal, a perennial herb from the Zingiberaceae family. Its phytochemical compounds such as flavonoids and phenols have been documented to have a powerful antioxidants effect, capable of scavenging free radicals and preventing oxidative damage. Methods: In this review, we critically evaluate the in vitro and in vivo studies and examine the mechanisms by which A. officinarum exerts its neuroprotective effect. Results: Several studies have confirmed that A. officinarum exerts its neuroprotective effects by reducing oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, promoting neurite outgrowth, and modulating neurotransmitter levels and signalling pathways. Conclusions: Although previous studies have shown promising results in various models of neurological disorders, the underlying mechanisms of A. officinarum in Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are still poorly understood. Further studies on brain tissue and cognitive and motor functions in animal models of AD and PD are needed to validate the results observed in in vitro studies. In addition, further clinical studies are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of A. officinarum in CNS disorders. Full article

This study explores the use of essential oils from cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) and galangal (Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd) as alternatives to synthetic insecticides for controlling the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). The chemical compositions of these oils were analyzed using GC-MS, and their fumigation effects were tested in a vapor-phase bioassay. The experiment followed a factorial design with four types of essential oils, namely, those manually extracted from cardamom leaves (MCL) and galangal leaves (MGL) and those commercially produced from cardamom seeds (CCS) and galangal rhizomes (CGR), at seven concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 µL/L air). The manually extracted oils yielded 0.6% from cardamom leaves and 0.25% from galangal leaves. MCL contained 28 components, with eucalyptol (25.2%) being the most abundant, while CCS had 34 components, primarily α-terpinyl acetate (46.1%) and eucalyptol (31.2%). MGL included 25 components, mainly caryophyllene (28.7%) and aciphyllene (18.3%), whereas CGR comprised 27 components, with methyl cis-cinnamate (47.3%) and safrole (19.8%) as the major constituents. The fumigation bioassay results revealed that CGR was the most effective, demonstrating the highest mortality rates of T. castaneum across all the tested periods and concentrations, achieving up to 96% mortality at 168 h with a concentration of 300 µL/L air. Statistical analyses showed significant differences in mortality based on the type and concentration of essential oil, particularly after 96 h. These findings highlight the potential of CGR, with its advantages and differences in chemical composition, as an effective biopesticide against T. castaneum, with increasing efficacy over time and at higher concentrations. Full article

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks third in terms of cancer-related deaths and is the fifth most commonly diagnosed type of cancer. Its risk factors include Helicobacter pylori infection, Epstein–Barr virus infection, the consumption of broiled and charbroiled animal meats, salt-preserved and smoke-enhanced foods, alcohol drinking, tobacco smoking, exposure to ionizing radiation, and positive family history. The limited effectiveness of conventional therapies and the widespread risk factors of GC encourage the search for new methods of treatment and prevention. In the quest for cheap and commonly available medications, numerous studies focus on herbal medicine, traditional brews, and spices. In this review, we outline the potential use of spices, including turmeric, ginger, garlic, black cumin, chili pepper, saffron, black pepper, rosemary, galangal, coriander, wasabi, cinnamon, oregano, cardamom, fenugreek, caraway, clove, dill, thyme, Piper sarmentosum, basil, as well as the compounds they contain, in the prevention and treatment of GC. We present the potential molecular mechanisms responsible for the effectivity of a given seasoning substance and their impact on GC cells. We discuss their potential effects on proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. For most of the spices discussed, we also outline the unavailability and side effects of their use. Full article

Food is one of the factors with the highest impact on human health. Today, attention is paid not only to food properties such as energy provision and palatability but also to functional aspects including phytochemical, antioxidant properties, etc. Massaman and spicy basil leaf curries are famous Thai food dishes with a good harmony of flavor and taste, derived from multiple herbs and spices, including galangal rhizomes, chili pods, garlic bulbs, peppers, shallots, and coriander seeds, that provide an array of health benefits. The characterization of phytochemicals detected by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS identified 99 components (Masaman) and 62 components (spicy basil leaf curry) such as quininic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, luteolin, kaempferol, catechin, eugenol, betulinic acid, and gingerol. The cynaroside and luteolin-7-O-glucoside found in spicy basil leaf curry play a key role in antioxidant activities and were found at a significantly higher concentration than in Massaman curry. Phenolic and flavonoid compounds generally exhibit a bitter and astringent taste, but all the panelists scored both curries higher than 7 out of 9, confirming their acceptable flavor. Results suggest that the Massaman and spicy basil leaves contain various phytochemicals at different levels and may be further used as functional ingredients and nutraceutical products. Full article

Natural products such as domestic herbal drugs which are easily accessible and cost-effective can be used as a complementary treatment in mild and moderate COVID-19 cases. This study aimed to detect and describe the efficiency of phenolics detected in the galangal–cinnamon mixture in the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2’s different protein targets. The potential antiviral effect of galangal–cinnamon aqueous extract (GCAE) against Low Pathogenic HCoV-229E was assessed using cytopathic effect inhibition assay and the crystal violet method. Low Pathogenic HCoV-229E was used as it is safer for in vitro laboratory experimentation and due to the conformation and the binding pockets similarity between HCoV-229E and SARS-CoV-2 M^Pro. The GCAE showed a significant antiviral effect against HCoV-229E (IC₅₀ 15.083 µg/mL). Twelve phenolic compounds were detected in the extract with ellagic, cinnamic, and gallic acids being the major identified phenolic acids, while rutin was the major identified flavonoid glycoside. Quantum-chemical calculations were made to find molecular properties using the DFT/B3LYP method with 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis set. Quantum-chemical values such as EHOMO, ELUMO, energy gap, ionization potential, chemical hardness, softness, and electronegativity values were calculated and discussed. Phenolic compounds detected by HPLC-DAD-UV in the GCAE were docked into the active site of 3 HCoV-229E targets (PDB IDs. 2ZU2, 6U7G, 7VN9, and 6WTT) to find the potential inhibitors that block the Coronavirus infection pathways from quantum and docking data for these compounds. There are good adaptations between the theoretical and experimental results showing that rutin has the highest activity against Low Pathogenic HCoV-229E in the GCAE extract. Full article

Background: The rhizome of Languas galangal is traditionally used in Sri Lanka for the treatment of skin infections caused by fungi. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of L. galangal rhizome and to develop a topical antifungal formulation from it. Methods: The dried, powdered rhizome of L. galangal was successively extracted with hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol using Soxhlet extraction. The agar well diffusion method was used to assess the antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus nger. The antifungal activities of the extracts were compared with clotrimazole as the positive control and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as the negative control. The most active hexane extract was used to prepare the cream. The antifungal activity of the formulated cream was tested. Results: The hexane extract of L. galangal rhizome powder was more effective on C. albicans and A. niger. The hexane extract of L. galangal showed the maximum zone of inhibition against C. albicans and A. niger (20.20 mm ± 0.46, 18.20 mm ± 0.46) compared to the other three extracts, while clotrimazole, which was used as a positive control, produced a larger zone of inhibition (36.10 mm ± 0.65) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), the negative control, did not produce inhibitory zones. Stability testing of the formulated cream showed a stable and good appearance. Conclusions: The cream developed using the hexane extract showed in vitro antifungal activity against C. albicans and A. niger. Further evaluations on shelf life, stability and safety are required. Full article

Biopolymer-based edible packaging is an effective way of preserving food while protecting the environment. This study developed an edible composite film using chitosan and native glutinous rice starch (NGRS) and incorporated essential oils (EOs) such as garlic, galangal, turmeric, and kaffir lime at fixed concentrations (0.312 mg/mL) to test its physicochemical and antimicrobial properties. The EO-added films were found to significantly improve the overall color characteristics (lightness, redness, and yellowness) as compared to the control film. The control films had higher opacity, while the EO-added films had slightly reduced levels of opacity and produced clearer films. The tensile strength and elongation at break values of the films varied among the samples. The control samples had the highest tensile strength, followed by the turmeric EO-added samples. However, the highest elongation at break value was found in the galangal and garlic EO-added films. The Young’s modulus results showed that garlic EO and kaffir lime EO had the lowest stiffness values. The total moisture content and water vapor permeability were very low in the garlic EO-added films. Despite the differences in EOs, the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) patterns of the tested films were similar among each other. Microstructural observation of the surface and cross-section of the tested edible film exhibited smooth and fissureless patterns, especially in the EO-added films, particularly in the galangal and kaffir lime EO-added films. The antimicrobial activity of the EO-added films was highly efficient against various gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens. Among the EO-added films, the garlic and galangal EO-added films exhibited superior inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas fluorescence, and turmeric and kaffir lime EO-added films showed potential antimicrobial activity against Lactobacillus plantarum and L. monocytogenes. Overall, this study concludes that the addition of EOs significantly improved the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of the CH-NGRS-based edible films, making them highly suitable for food applications. Full article

To study the mechanism of galangal in the treatment of gastric cancer by network pharmacology. The TCMSP database was used to collect the effective compounds and potential targets of galangal, and the genes associated with gastric cancer were obtained through the GeneCards database, and Venn obtained the interaction genes of the effective compound targets of galangal and gastric cancer targets, plotted the interaction genes into PPI networks, and screened out key targets. The interacting genes were imported into Metascape database for GO enrichment analysis and KEGG signal enrichment. A total of 13 active compounds and 207 potential downstream target genes were screened by TCMSP database. Have 5222 gastric cancer target genes through GeneCards database, there were a total of 150 interactive genes and 6 key genes: TP53, AKT1, JUN, HSP90AA1, IL6, and CASP3. These interacting genes involved 30 typical GO entries and 20 KEGG signals. Galangal may play a role in the treatment of gastric cancer by means of multi-component, multi-target and multi-signal pathway. Full article

Alpinia galanga Willd., greater galangal, has been used for thousands of years as a spice as well as in traditional medicine. Its central nervous system (CNS) stimulant activity and neuroprotective effects have been proved both in animal models and human trials. However, the compounds responsible for these effects have not been identified yet. Therefore, the main constituents (p-OH-benzaldehyde (1), trans-p-coumaryl-alcohol (2), p-coumaryl-aldehyde (4), galanganol A (5), galanganol B (6), trans-p-acetoxycinnamyl alcohol (7), 1′S-1′-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA, 9), and 1′S-1′-acetoxyeugenol acetate (AEA, 10)) were isolated to investigate their aqueous stability and passive diffusion across the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) membrane and the blood–brain barrier (BBB) by the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). Our positive results for compounds 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, and 10 suggest good permeability, thus potential contribution to the effects of greater galangal in the CNS. The results of the PAMPA-BBB were corroborated by in silico chemography-based ChemGPS-NP framework experiments. In addition, examination of the chemical space position of galangal compounds in relation to known psychostimulants revealed that all the molecules in proximity are NET/SERT inhibitors. As ACA and AEA did not show much proximity to either compound, the importance of further investigation of their degradation products becomes more pronounced. Full article

The rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance (known as the smaller galangal) have been used as a traditional medicine for over 1000 years. Nevertheless, little research is available on the bacteriostatic activity of the herb rhizomes. In this study, we employed, for the first time, a chloroform and methanol extraction method to investigate the antibacterial activity and components of the rhizomes of A. officinarum Hance. The results showed that the growth of five species of pathogenic bacteria was significantly inhibited by the galangal methanol-phase extract (GMPE) (p < 0.05). The GMPE treatment changed the bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity, membrane fluidity and/or permeability. Comparative transcriptomic analyses revealed approximately eleven and ten significantly altered metabolic pathways in representative Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Enterobacter sakazakii pathogens, respectively (p < 0.05), demonstrating different antibacterial action modes. The GMPE was separated further using a preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (Prep-HPLC) technique, and approximately 46 and 45 different compounds in two major component fractions (Fractions 1 and 4, respectively) were identified using ultra-HPLC combined with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) techniques. o-Methoxy cinnamaldehyde (40.12%) and p-octopamine (62.64%) were the most abundant compounds in Fractions 1 and 4, respectively. The results of this study provide data for developing natural products from galangal rhizomes against common pathogenic bacteria. Full article