FABRIKASI NANOFIBER PVA-PARE (Momordica charantia) SEBAGAI WOUND DRESSING 

FABRICATION OF PVA-BETTER MELON (Momordica charantia) NANOFIBER AS WOUND DRESSING

Momordica charantia atau lebih dikenal sebagai pare merupakan sejenis sayuran yang banyak ditemukan di Kawasan Afrika, Asia dan Karibia. Pare juga dikenal sebagai tanaman obat yang banyak dimanfaatkan dalam berbagai jenis pengobatan tradisional. Dalam ekstrak buah pare diketahui memiliki kandungan asam fenolik, flavonoid, karotenoid, triterpenoid, dan fitosterol yang dapat menghambat pertumbuhan beberapa bakteri seperti B. subtilis dan E. coli yang banyak ditemukan pada luka. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis karakteristik fisik (diameter fiber, ukuran pori dan porositas) dan mekanik nanofiber PVA-Pare serta menganalisis efektivitas sifat antibakteri yang ada didalamnya terhadap bakteri B. subtilis dan E. coli. Proses fabrikasi nanofiber PVA-Pare dilakukan dengan metode electrospinning. Adapun jenis uji yang dilakukan pada nanofiber PVA-Pare adalah FTIR, SEM, kuat tarik, dan antibakteri. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa nanofiber PVA-Pare memiliki gugus fungsi C=O dan CH2 yang menunjukkan adanya kandungan pare dan PVA, memiliki ukuran diameter fiber dengan rentang 147-185 nm dan porositas antara 53-60% dengan nanofiber PVA-25%Pare sebagai nanofiber yang paling homogen. Karakteristik mekanik nanofiber PVA-Pare belum memenuhi standar material medis dengan nilai kuat tarik (MPa), elongation at break (%), dan modulus young (MPa) dari nanofiber PVA-Pare berturut-turut yaitu; 0,04 MPa, 7% dan 0,005 MPa. Namun nanofiber PVA-Pare memiliki aktivitas antibakteri yang sangat baik terutama pada bakteri gram positif dengan efektivitas sebesar 90% (B. Subtilis) serta pada gram negatif dengan efektivitas 58% (E. coli). 

Momordica charantia, better known as pare, is a type of vegetable that is commonly found in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Pare is also known as a medicinal plant that is widely used in various types of traditional medicine. Bitter melon extract is known to contain phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, triterpenoids, and phytosterols that can inhibit the growth of several bacteria, such as B. subtilis and E. coli, which are commonly found in wounds. The purpose of this study was to analyze the physical and mechanical characteristics (fiber diameter, pore size, and porosity) and the mechanical properties of the PVA-Pare nanofibers and to analyze the effectiveness of their antibacterial properties against B. subtilis and E. coli bacteria. The PVA-Pare nanofiber fabrication process was carried out by the electrospinning method. The types of tests carried out on PVA-Pare nanofibers were tested for FTIR, SEM, tensile strength, and antibacterial. The results showed that the PVA-Pare nanofiber has C=O and CH2 functional groups, which indicate the presence of Pare and PVA content, a fiber diameter in the range of 147–185 nm, and porosity between 53-60%, with PVA-Pare nanofiber as the most homogeneous nanofiber. The mechanical characteristics of PVA-Pare nanofiber did not meet the standards of medical materials with values of tensile strength (MPa), elongation at break (%), and Young's modulus (MPa) of PVAPare nanofiber, respectively: 0.04 MPa, 7%, and 0.005 MPa. However, PVA-Pare nanofiber has excellent antibacterial activity, especially on gram-positive bacteria with an effectiveness of 90% (B. subtilis), while on gram-negative bacteria it has an effectiveness of 58% (E. coli).