GREEN EXTRACTION OF Azadirachta indica LEAVES USING VIRGIN COCONUT OIL (VCO) AS ANTIACNE

Abstrak

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract obtained through a green extraction process using Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) as a natural anti-acne agent. The extraction was carried out using the maceration method with VCO as the solvent at three different concentrations (5%, 10%, and 20%). The in vivo antibacterial test was conducted on mice induced with Cutibacterium acnes to develop acne-like lesions. Evaluations were performed on days 5, 10, and 15 by assessing the number and types of lesions (comedones, papules, and pustules). Additionally, in silico analysis was conducted to predict the interaction of non-polar active compounds from neem leaves (gedunin, nimbin, and nimbiloide) with the C. acnes target protein (PDB ID: 6KHM) using PyRx, UCSF Chimera, and Discovery Studio software. The in vivo results showed that VCO–neem leaf extract at concentrations of 10% and 20% significantly eliminated acne lesions, demonstrating comparable efficacy to clindamycin as a positive control. The in silico results revealed that nimbiloide exhibited the strongest binding affinity (–8.2 kcal/mol) with amino acid residues GLY178 and ALA180, similar to clindamycin’s binding pattern. Overall, the combination of VCO and neem leaf extract exhibited synergistic antibacterial activity against C. acnes, indicating its potential as an eco-friendly natural active ingredient for anti-acne dermocosmetic formulations.