Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activity of Muntingia calabura L. Leaf Extract in Anti-Acne Serum and Gel Moisturizer Formulations
Abstract
The cherry tree (Muntingia calabura L.) is known to contain bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, and saponins, which exhibit potential as natural antibacterial agents against acne-causing bacteria. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the antibacterial efficacy of serum and moisturizer gel formulations containing ethanol extract of M. calabura leaves against Propionibacterium acnes. Serum was selected due to its high concentration of active ingredients and superior skin penetration, while the gel moisturizer provides a light, non-greasy texture that is comfortable and easily absorbed. The results demonstrated that the serum formulation containing 18% extract (F3) exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against P. acnes, with a strong inhibition zone. Similarly, the gel formulation with 6% extract (F3) also showed a strong inhibitory effect. These findings highlight the potential of M. calabura leaf extract as an effective natural agent for the development of topical anti-acne skincare products.
Full text article
References
Azzahra, B. N., Rahmi, D., & Setyaningsih, R. (2021). Pengaruh ekstrak daun kersen (Muntingia calabura L.) sebagai disinfektan alami terhadap daya hambat dan penurunan total bakteri di ruang penampungan susu. Jurnal Teknologi Hasil Peternakan, 2(2), 39–55. https://doi.org/10.24198/jthp.v2i2.36013
Depkes RI. (2017). Farmakope Herbal Indonesia (Edisi II). Departemen Kesehatan Republik Indonesia.
Estikomah, S. A., Amal, A. S. S., & Safaatsih, S. F. (2021a). Uji daya hambat terhadap bakteri Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Propionibacterium acnes gel semprot ekstrak etanol daun kersen (Muntingia calabura L.) Karbopol 940. Pharmaceutical Journal of Islamic Pharmacy, 5(1), 36–53.
Estikomah, S., Yuniastuti, E., & Lestari, R. (2021b). Uji fitokimia dan aktivitas antibakteri ekstrak daun kersen (Muntingia calabura L.) terhadap Propionibacterium acnes. Jurnal Fitofarmaka Indonesia, 8(2), 100–108.
Fitriani, A., Wulandari, D., & Sari, M. (2021). Efektivitas krim ekstrak daun binahong (Anredera cordifolia) terhadap penyembuhan luka pada kulit tikus. Jurnal Farmasi dan Ilmu Kefarmasian Indonesia, 8(2), 124–130.
Gerung, W., Antasionasti, I., & Fatmawali. (2021). Uji Aktivitas Antibakteri Ekstrak Daun Belimbing Botol (Averrhoa bilimbi L.) Terhadap Pertumbuhan Bakteri Propionibacterium acne Penyebab Jerawat. Pharmacon, 10(4), 1087– 1093.
Hayon, M. F. K., Supriningrum, R., & Fatimah, N. (2023). Identifikasi jenis saponin dan uji aktivitas antibakteri ekstrak metanol kulit batang sekilang (Embelia borneensis Scheff.) terhadap bakteri Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 dan Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175. Jurnal Riset Kefarmasian Indonesia, 5(2), 258–272.
Hikmah, F. N., Malahayati, S., & Nugraha, D. F. (2024). Formulasi Dan Evaluasi Sediaan Serum Gel Ekstrak Bunga Melati (Jasminum sambac L.). Sains Medisina, 2(3), 110–120. https://doi.org/10.63004/snsmed.v2i3.29
Novaryatiin, S. (2016). Identifikasi bakteri dan resistensinya terhadap antibiotik di Poli Gigi RSUD dr. Doris Sylvanus Palangkaraya. Jurnal Surya Medika, 1(2), 17–25.
Rosi, D. H. R., Kirana Efmisa, A., Fernandi, R., Amar, K., & Deswati. (2024). Formulasi Sediaan Gel Moisturizer Ekstrak Etanol Daun Bayam Merah (Amarantus tricolor L). Journal of Midwifery and Healthcare Sciences, 1(1). Retrieved from https://journal.umnyarsi.ac.id/index.php/JMHS/article/view/59
Sholaekah, A., Zakaria, M., Sari, N. K., & Wahyuni, S. (2025). Uji aktivitas antibakteri sediaan emulgel ekstrak belimbing wuluh (Averrhoa bilimbi L.) terhadap bakteri Propionibacterium acnes. Jurnal Riset Kefarmasian Indonesia, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.33759/jrki.v7i1.581
Ulfah, A., Rasyid, M., & Amody, Z. (2020). Pengujian Efektifitas Formula Gel Ekstrak Daun Beluntas (Pluchea indica (L.) Less) Dengan Variasi Konsentrasi Gelling Agent Sebagai Kandidat Sediaan Anti Jerawat. Jurnal Ilmiah Manuntung, 6(2), 312–322.
Wang, Y., Hambly, B. D., & Bao, S. (2015). Tannin as a potential antibacterial agent and its mechanism. Journal of Natural Products, 78(3), 123–129.
Yuan, Y., Wu, Q., & Wang, J. (2021). Flavonoids as membrane-active agents to combat bacterial infections. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(17), 9362. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22179362
Zebua, H. P., Manalu, R. D., & Sitanggang, S. A. (2019). Efektivitas antibakteri ekstrak daun kersen terhadap bakteri patogen. Jurnal Penelitian Biologi dan Farmasi, 3(1), 34–41.
Zulham, Z., Rasyid, A. U. M., & Burhan, A. (2025). Hepatoprotective Potential of Schleichera oleosa Leaf Extract Against Paracetamol-Induced Liver Injury in Rats. Jurnal Jamu Indonesia, 10(3), 152–157. https://doi.org/10.29244/jji.v10i3.407
Authors

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Copyright @2017. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial used, distribution and reproduction in any medium