Page 59 - THEi Student Applied Research Presentations 2025

DESIGN, PREPARATION, AND
CHARACTERIZATION OF CHINESE

MEDICINAL OINTMENT – CURCUMAE
LONGAE RHIZOMA

Poster Video
LAI Mei Tsz
BSc (Hons) in Chinese Medicinal Pharmacy
Department of Food and Health Sciences

RESEARCH BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES

Most cosmetics contain preservatives and fragrances, such as phenoxyethanol • To design and prepare a Chinese
and limonene, which can lead to skin allergies or diseases. Chinese Herbal medicinal ointment using an
Medicine (CHM) may be an alternative way to minimize these potential risks, active ingredient of "Curcumin"
for example, Curcumae Longae Rhizoma. Its extract has an active ingredient, in 1%, 3%, and 5% concentrations
"Curcumin", which possesses antibacterial and antioxidant properties to fight extracted from the Curcumae
against skin disorders. Thus, this research project aimed to design and prepare Longae Rhizoma;
natural ointments (NCP) containing "Curcumin" for concentrations of 1%, 3%, • To predict the suitable pH value
and 5%. The effectiveness was evaluated by comparing them to a commercial from a selected cream and
product with curcumin extract (TP). evaluate the prepared Chinese
medicinal ointment's (NCP)
METHODOLOGY antioxidant and antibacterial
properties by comparing them
Chinese medicinal ointments were synthesized from curcumin extract powder to a commercial product with
(NCP), which was conducted in four experiments: (1) physical, (2) chemical, curcumin extract (TP).
(3) biological identifications, and (4) comparison to the commercial product.
This included the determination of (1) pH value; (2) phytochem constitutes
through Lead tetra acetic acid and Horizon tests, qualitative and quantitative
analysis by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, High-Performance Liquid
Chromatography-Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) and Mass Spectrometry
(HPLC-MS); (3) Antioxidant assay with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH)
Radical Scavenging Assay (RSA), and antibacterial assay with Staphylococcus ABOUT THE INVESTIGATOR
aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli); (4) Comparison the antioxidant
and antibacterial properties between NCP ointments and commercial product. I am interested in laboratory
and research work on biological

FINDINGS experiments, especially in Chinese
Medicine Therapy. My career goal
Chinese medicinal 1%, 3% and 5% NCP ointments were successfully developed is to become a registered Chinese
using an Emulsifying Ointment BP and the Chinese medicinal plant "Curcumae medicine practitioner and design
Longae Rhizoma". An active ingredient of NCP ointments, “curcumin” was an effective product of Traditional
confirmed by HPLC-DAD, HPLC-MS, and phytochem constituents studies. Lead Chinese Medicine (TCM) based on my
tetra acetic acid and Horizon tests indicated positive results in the determination knowledge.
of phytochem constituents. The pH values of NCP ointments were slightly acidic. FYP Supervisor: Dr LAW Siu Kan
3% and 5% NCP ointments showed stronger antioxidant power (28.42% and
49.01%) than TP (21.29%), while TP processed greater antibacterial properties
(99.42% against S. aureus and 99.44% against E. coli) due to its alcohol-based
formulation. Conversely, 1%, 3%, and 5% NCP ointments were natural products
containing “curcumin” only, with antibacterial properties of 76.07%, 79.59%,
and 87.29% against S. aureus, 25.58%, 50.16%, and 53.59% against E. coli,
respectively.
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