Assignment 03 — Introduction of Journal Article: Identification and Antibacterial Activity of Flavonoid Compounds from Ethyl Acetate Extract of Kalanchoe millotii

In Indonesia, academics (especially lecturers) are critical in creating a productive and quality academic environment. Scientific publications are an essential indicator in assessing the quality and productivity of lecturers to fulfill the obligations of the Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi. Not only lecturers but graduate students are required to publish a journal article as a graduation requirement.

However, publishing a scientific article in a reputable journal takes much work. Writing a scientific paper requires a deep understanding of what is being researched and skills in constructing strong arguments, analyzing data accurately, and writing in a style that meets the scientific standards set by the journal publisher.

Parts of a journal article consist of the abstract, introduction, methods, results and discussion, and references. In this story, we will discuss the introduction to a scientific article and the initial stages of writing an introduction.

Introduction is the initial part that provides background information to the reader to help them understand the research topic, objectives, and relevance in the scientific field (Wordvice HJ, 2016).

The introduction should answer these questions (Ammon, 2023):

1. What am I writing about?
2. Why is it important?
3. What do I want the reader to know about it?

Based on Ammon, the introduction should have a strong narrative that can grab the reader’s attention before providing an overview of the latest research on the chosen topic. The background and review of previous research help explain to readers the urgency of the research. When you reach the end of the introduction, establish what you want the reader to know about the selected research. It may include your focus, scope, problem statement, and specific research questions, hypotheses, or objectives.

Structure of Introduction

Structure of Introduction Section (Viridi and Mahyuddin, 2022)

1. General Background: Presents a general overview of the research topic that will be discussed, usually in the form of an explanation of the importance of the research topic in the field or the problem to be solved.
2. Specific Background: Presents more specific information about the research topic, which includes an in-depth understanding of the subject or problem to be researched. Expand the reader’s knowledge of the research topic by providing an in-depth review of previous research, relevant theories, key concepts, or previous research results relevant to the research being conducted.
3. Knowledge gap: Explain what parts are not yet known from previous research or if there is a lack of knowledge/understanding that requires further research so that this becomes the primary motivation for conducting this research. The previous two components should serve as preparation for this section. Knowledge gaps in the introduction of scientific articles help clarify the rationale of the research and show the importance of the research.
4. Here we show : Summary of the research and methods used in the paper. Contain one or two sentences about your results’ broad implications/novelty. Further results will be discussed in depth in the discussion section.

Step-by-Step Guide (Caulfield, 2023)

Avoid the following mistakes:

1. Ambiguity: Do not be ambiguous. When writing, assume that the reader needs help understanding any complex details about your research.
2. Unrelated themes: Avoid topics unrelated to your research topic’s main aspects.
3. Poor organization: Make sure to place information with structure. Ensure the background reads chronologically and arrange the sub-sections to flow well (Elsevier Author Services, 2024).

Here is an example of the introduction in a journal article I created.

Flavonoids are the largest group in aromatic compounds, estimated as many as 10,000 found in some plants [1]. Many flavonoids are investigated as antibacterial agents because they have aromatic structures and hydroxyl groups that can inhibit and kill bacteria. It allows flavonoids to be a potential antibiotic source because they are easier to find, have strong activity against bacteria, and have low toxicity as an antibacterial agent [2]. One of the flavonoid sources can be found in the Kalanchoe genus.

Kalanchoe is a genus in the family Crassulaceae originating from Africa, and it is often used as a traditional medicine for treating infections, headaches, swelling, fever, toothache, and cough [3,4]. Currently, only 26 species have been studied, and 7 of them have grown and have been studied in Indonesia. A total of 58 flavonoid compounds from 11 Kalanchoe species were successfully isolated.

Several studies of the genus Kalanchoe have antibacterial activity. Okwu and Nnamdi [5] have found flavonoid compounds from K. pinnata which show antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. K. crenata showed antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, namely E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumonia, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella paratyphi and Citrobacter sp and Gram positive namely S. aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Bacilus subtilis [6].

K. millotii is a Kalanchoe species that has yet to be widely explored regarding secondary metabolite identification. Based on BoguckaKocka et al. [7], the ethanol extract of K. millotii has a cytotoxic effect on the second-highest leukemic T cell after K. pinnata. Until now, the antibacterial activity from secondary metabolite of K. millotii has yet to be studied. In this study, we report the presence of two flavonoids quercetin (1) and eriodictiol (2) from the leaves of plant and their antibacterial properties against Streptococcus mutans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

References:

• Ammon, C. 2023. Introduction Section for Research Papers. San José State University Writing Center. Accessed March 9, 2024. url https://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/docs/handouts/Introduction%20of%20Research%20Papers.pdf.
• Caulfield, J. 2023. Writing a Research Paper Introduction | Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. Accessed March 9, 2024, url https://www.scribbr.com/research-paper/research-paper-introduction/.
• Elsevier Author Services. 2024. What is the Background of a Study and How Should it be Written? Elsevier. Accessed March 10, 2024, url https://scientific-publishing.webshop.elsevier.com/manuscript-preparation/what-background-study-and-how-should-it-be-written/.
• Viridi, S. and Mahyuddin, M. H. 2022. Jurnal: Pendahuluan. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7103265.
• Wordvice HJ. 2016. How to Write a Strong Research Paper Introduction Section. Wordvice. Accessed March 9, 2024. url https://blog.wordvice.com/how-to-draft-a-compelling-introduction-for-your-journal-article/.