Aceh Students Gali Potential For Mimba Leaves As Environmentally Friendly Antibacterial Materials

JAKARTA - The mimba leaf (Azadirachta indica) has long been known as a plant rich in benefits, mainly due to its natural compound content which has antibacterial, anti-famur, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Its ability to inhibit microorganisms' growth makes these leaves have great potential to be utilized in various innovations, including water treatment technology. With its natural nature, mimba leaves are the right choice to be combined with modern technology in creating environmentally friendly solutions.

In response to this potential, a student of Kimia Engineering at Syiah Kuala University (USK) Banda Aceh developed an antibacterial membrane based on mimba leaves to deal with antibiotic waste pollution through the Student Creativity Program (PKM). The team leader, Haziqia Aulia Putri, explained that their research has now entered the performance test stage at the USK Chemical Engineering Laboratory.

The PKM team consisting of Haziqia Aulia Putri with A.R Yana Sunarti and Sheila Rizkia Azzahra developed a modified polyviniliden fluoride (PVDF) membrane with graphene oxide and mimba leaf extract. This combination is expected to be able to produce effective filtration while maintaining environmental sustainability principles.

"In addition to providing high effectiveness in filtering, we want this technology to prioritize environmentally friendly aspects by utilizing natural resources that are easy to obtain, such as mimba leaves," said Haziqia, as quoted by ANTARA.

According to him, the use of mimba leaves provides added value because its antibacterial properties can work synergically with modern materials such as graphene oxide. This approach aims to maximize the filtering power of the membrane without sacrificing ecosystem sustainability.

Haziqia also emphasizes that antibiotic waste in waters is a serious problem, because unmanaged disposal can cause bacterial resistance and threaten ecosystem balance. Through this innovation, his team hopes to provide practical, effective, and applicable technology in both industry and household.

This research is expected to be the opening door for advanced research and cross-field collaboration. The team is also actively sharing the development of research and public education related to membrane technology through the Instagram account @goxmimba.mbran.

"Hopefully this small step can be an inspiration for other students to continue to innovate and make a real contribution to environmental sustainability," concluded Haziqia.