When we hear the word pineapple, most of us might immediately imagine its sweet, fresh flesh on a hot day. However, have we ever thought that pineapple leaves, which are usually discarded, actually hold great potential for the health sector? This is the story of a research project carried out by a team of scholars from Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) – Sumaiyah, Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, Hafid Syahputra, and Muhammad Fauzan Lubis – who transformed agricultural waste into a promising modern medicinal material.

Among the four researchers, the name Sumaiyah appears as the first author and principal investigator. She not only pursues the field of pharmaceutical technology but also strives to bridge science with community needs. “We want to prove that pineapple leaf waste can become a valuable source of medicine, not just useless waste left to pile up,” said Sumaiyah in an imagined interview for this article.

For thousands of years, turmeric and curcumin – the yellow active compound contained in it – have been important parts of traditional medicine. In the kitchen, turmeric is present as a seasoning and natural coloring. In medicine, it is famous as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and even anticancer agent.

Unfortunately, curcumin has a weakness: it is poorly soluble in water. As a result, its absorption in the body is not optimal. Here modern research plays a role. The USU team tried combining curcumin with nanocellulose – nano-sized cellulose particles – extracted from pineapple leaves. This combination was expected to improve how curcumin is “delivered” into the body, especially through thin film form that can be used as a topical medicine.

“Imagine, leaves that usually pile up in the fields after harvest can be turned into a drug carrier material. This is not only efficiency but also an environmentally friendly solution,” said Sumaiyah, emphasizing the relevance of her research to sustainability issues.

Pineapple leaf waste, or scientifically Ananas comosus, is actually rich in cellulose fiber. However, ordinary cellulose is too coarse to be directly used as a pharmaceutical material. Therefore, the research team carried out acid hydrolysis: a technique using sulfuric acid solution at a specific concentration to break down coarse fibers into fine nanocrystals.

The results were impressive. From 5 grams of α-cellulose, they obtained nearly 3.8 grams of white nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). These particles had an average size of about 268 nanometers – extremely small, thousands of times thinner than a strand of human hair.

To ensure its quality, NCC was tested using various advanced instruments:

• FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared): detected functional groups indicating that its chemical structure was free of non-cellulose impurities.

• SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope): captured the surface shape of particles at magnifications up to 50,000 times, showing fine nano-sized fibers.

• XRD (X-Ray Diffraction): measured crystallinity level, which in this study reached 75.89%. This high figure indicates that the particle structure is neat and orderly, important for durability and film function.

“All these tests are important so that we can be sure this waste-derived material truly meets pharmaceutical quality standards,” explained Sumaiyah.

The next stage was to combine NCC with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) – a polymer safe for use and commonly applied in medical products. PVA helped form thin films that were flexible, transparent, and capable of holding curcumin within them.

The team added curcumin in three different concentrations: 50, 75, and 100 micrograms. The thin films produced ranged from pale yellow to deep yellow, depending on the curcumin content.

Interestingly, the release of curcumin from these films followed a zero-order kinetic pattern. This means the active compound was released steadily and in a controlled manner over time, not all at once in the beginning. In simple terms, like a water jug with a small tap: the flow continues at a relatively constant rate, not gushing out quickly and then running out.

In addition, the release mechanism of curcumin showed non-Fickian diffusion properties. In other words, the release was influenced not only by concentration differences but also by complex interactions between curcumin and the polymer matrix (NCC and PVA). “This is good news,” said Sumaiyah, “because it means this film can maintain curcumin stability longer, maximizing its benefits for patients.”

The NCC-curcumin-PVA film was then tested against three bacteria that cause skin infections: Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus sp., and Escherichia coli. The method was to place the film on a medium containing bacteria and observe the clear zones formed around it – indicating bacterial inhibition.

The results were consistent: the higher the curcumin concentration in the film, the wider the clear zone. In films containing 100 µg of curcumin, the inhibitory power against bacteria was much higher than those with 50 or 75 µg. However, its activity was still slightly below that of gentamicin, the antibiotic used as a comparison.

Nevertheless, this finding remains significant. “Imagine if one day we can make simple wound plasters already containing this curcumin-NCC film. In addition to protecting the wound, the plaster would also fight bacteria that cause infection,” Sumaiyah described the application potential.

This finding is not merely a laboratory experiment. In the long term, the curcumin-NCC film has the potential to become a topical wound dressing – bandages or plasters for wound care. With the ability to release medicine slowly, this film can accelerate healing, fight bacteria, and reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance.

Furthermore, utilizing pineapple leaf waste also touches on sustainability issues. Indonesia is one of the world’s largest pineapple producers. Every harvest, millions of tons of pineapple leaves become organic waste. If processed into high-value pharmaceutical materials, the benefits would not only be for health but also for farmers’ economy and the environment.

“Our hope is that this research can pave the way for the utilization of other agricultural waste. Science should not only stop in the laboratory but also return to the community,” said Sumaiyah with optimism.

Although it sounds highly technical, this research actually conveys a simple message: innovation can emerge from what is closest to daily life. From discarded pineapple leaves comes a new material for skin medicine. From turmeric commonly found in kitchens comes curcumin molecules that can be reformulated for modern medicine.

More than that, this research also demonstrates the face of universities present among communities. Universitas Sumatera Utara, through its researchers, provides proof that science can be grounded – offering solutions for health while reducing environmental problems.

When this scientific article was published, the research team stated that much still needs optimization. The curcumin-NCC film must be further tested on a clinical scale, including long-term safety, storage stability, and effectiveness in real patients. However, the first step has already been firmly laid.

From Medan, Sumaiyah and her team have sent a strong message: innovation does not always have to begin in sophisticated foreign laboratories. It can start from pineapple fields at home, from sensitivity in seeing waste as opportunity, and from the courage to connect science with community needs.

“For us, this research is a small way to contribute to public health and environmental sustainability,” said Sumaiyah in closing.

And who would have thought, behind the spread of pineapple leaves often considered useless, lies new hope for the medical world.