Author(s): Trisia Windy, Ika Rahayu and Kris Herawan Timotius

Abstract: Several plants are recognized as asarone rich plants. As a bioactive compound, asarone has benefits is to treat infectious diseases. The aims of this review are to compile information from previous articles on the antifungal and antibacterial activities of asarone rich herbal materials. Several plants are good source for asarone, namely Acorus calamus, Acorus gramineus, Eusideroxylon zwageri, Perilla frutescens, Piper cubeba, Pycnocycla spinose and Sphallerocarpus gracilis. Ethyl acetate extracts/fractions have good antifungal activity followed by essential oil. Candida albicans and many filamentous fungi can be inhibited by ethyl aceate extract and essential oils from asarone rich herbal materials. Only essential oils, not ethyl acetate extract, are good in inhibition either Gram negative or Gram positive bacteria. Isolated asarone also shows antimicrobial activity. The asarone content in the extract depends on the polarity of the solvent. The nonpolar extract trends to have higher asarone than the polar. It can be concluded that the essential oils from asarone rich herbal material have good inhibitory activity against pathogenic yeast/fungal and bacteria. The ethyl acetate extract is only effective in inhibition of pathogenic yeast or filamentous fungi.