The Abundance of Bioactive Compound in Fingerroot Essential Oil Before and After Self Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SNEDDS)

This research focuses on optimizing and stabilizing the essential oil of fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda), a plant native to Indonesia, using a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) technology. This essential oil possesses antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties, making it a potential alternative to synthetic antibiotics. However, its low bioavailability and volatility limit its usage. The study involved two stages: nanoemulsion creation by D-Optimal method using Design Expert software version 13 and stability analysis of bioactive compounds through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The optimized formula consisted of fingerroot essential oil, virgin coconut oil (VCO), Tween 80, and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 400 in percentages of 12.61%, 12.61%, 53.65%, and 21.12%, respectively. Prior to nanoemulsion, the essential oil contained 28.29% camphor and 27.13% 1,8-cineole, which are the highest bioactive compounds. After applying the SNEDDS technology, the camphor content decreased to 25.17%, while the 1,8-cineole content reduced to 13.05%. These findings indicate that while the concentration of bioactive compounds in fingerroot essential oil decreases, the oil itself facilitates its potential application in pharmaceutical and therapeutic fields as SNEDDS base, characterized by valuable particle size and polydispersity index (PDI).