PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON ANTIFUNGAL AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF ALUM AS MEDICINE PREPARATION FOR VAGINAL DISCHARGE

Background: Alum has many functions in various fields such as an astringent substance has the potential to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. This study aims to know the antifungal and antibacterial activity against C.albicans and N.gonorrheae which can be used as medicine preparation for vaginal discharge. These microbes are pathogenic microorganisms commonly found in the vagina. Method: The method used is the disk diffusion which is based on a clear zone area to determine the inhibition. Variation concentration of alum used is 2.5; 5; 10; 15; 20 and 25%. Results: The results showed that alum has antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microbes, namely C.albicans and N.gonorrhea. This is indicated by the presence of clear zones formed in the area of paper disks. Concentrations of 20% and 25% have moderate antimicrobial activity. An increase in concentration in alum shows that the diameter of the clear zone that is formed is also getting bigger. Conclusions: In this study, it can be concluded that alum is proven to have antifungal and antibacterial activity against pathogenic microbes that live in the vagina. So, it has the potential to become one of the medicine compositions for vaginal discharge.