UNAIR NEWS – Development in the pharmaceutical world is endless. Not only the development of drugs with synthetic materials, but also the development of natural ingredients. Preparations of natural ingredients do provide not only a powerful therapeutic effect but also have far lower side effects.
One PKM-P group from Universitas Airlangga uses natural ingredients as an antiseptic spray. With members of Intan Purnama, Alexander, and Suciati Fitri, the team from Faculty of Pharmacy decided to use nut grass as the main ingredient. The nut grass contains flavonoids and essential oils that have analgesic (anti-pain) and antiseptic effects on wound cuts and scratches.
Spray making is made by atomization system. Atomization aims to break down liquid substances into droplets (spray granules). The process of making spray preparations starts from refining nut grass bulbs, maceration, extraction, and spray formulations.
Then, nut grass spray produced will be compared to antiseptic povidone iodine and water preparations. It aims to determine the effect produced and the best concentration of the grass extract. The product will be tested on mice for several days.
“We choose a spray to make it easier to use, easy to carry, and can be more effective on the injured part, “said Intan.
According to Intan, this spray has many advantages compared to similar products on the market because the product is made from natural ingredients, and it has far lower side effects. Besides, the use of natural ingredients can also minimize the possibility of the occurrence of allergies.
“With the use of nut grass as the main ingredient in this antiseptic spray, we also want to introduce this plant which has not been used optimally so far,” explained Intan. “So far, the natural materials for antiseptic drugs are still by import, we want to provide other alternatives that are easier to obtain and certainly cheaper,” he continued,
Intan hopes that it can help improve the health quality in Indonesia. The product is expected to be an alternative for people who want a safer product and easier to use.
“In the future, we hope this antiseptic spray can be produced commercially,” said Intan. (*)
Author: Sukma Cindra Pratiwi
Editor: Binti Q Masruroh
