Efektivitas Ekstrak Daun Kayu Putih (Melaleuca leucadendron L.) sebagai Antibakteri secara In Vitro

Sarah Tria Novrizqullah Joen

Majority
Vol 9 No 2 (2020): MAJORITY

Indonesia is one of the country that has a wealth of natural resources that are diverse and scattered throughout the region. These natural resources are widely used as traditional medicine by people in Indonesia. One of these natural resources is the eucalyptus plant. Eucalyptus leaves (Melaleuca leucadendron L.) are known to have various benefit for health. One of the active compounds contained in eucalyptus leaf extract is 1,8-cineol. This compound is known to have antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity. Besides, eucalyptus leaves also contain α-terpineol, α-pinen, and ß-pinen. These compounds also have antibacterial activity by damaging cell membranes, inhibiting enzymes, and destroying genetic material in bacteria so that they are thought to inhibit bacterial growth.