Plastics have been one of the highly valued materials and it plays an significant role in human's life such as in food packaging and biomedical applications. Bioplastic materials can gradually work as a substitute for various materials based on fossil oil. The issue like sustainability and environmental challenges which occur due to manufacturing and disposal of synthetic plastics can be conquering by bio-based plastics. Feathers are among the most inexpensive abundant, and renewable protein sources. Feathers disposal to the landfills leads to environmental pollutions and it results into wastage of 90% of protein raw material. Keratin is non-burning hydrophilic, and biodegradable due to which it can be applicable in various ways via chemical processing. Main objective of this research is to synthesis bioplastic using keratin from chicken feathers. Extracted keratin solution mixed with different concentration of glycerol (2 to 10%) to produce plastic films. The mixture was stirred under constant magnetic stirring at 60 °C for 5 h. The mixtures are then poured into aluminum weighing boat and dried in an oven at 60 °C for 24 h. The mechanical properties of the samples were tested and the physic-chemical properties of the bioplastic were studied. According to the results, Scanning Electron Microscopy test showed good compatible morphologies without holes, cavity and edge. The difference in chemical composition was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The samples were also characterized by thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) to check the thermal and crystallinity properties. Other than that, bioplastic made up from keratin with 2% of glycerol has the best mechanical and thermal properties. According to biodegradability test, all bioplastic produced are proven biodegradable. Therefore, the results showed possible application of the film as an alternative to fossil oil based materials which are harmful to the environment.
Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by hypersensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet radiation and other carcinogenic agents. This ailment is characterized by increased photosensitivity, skin xerosis, early skin aging, actinic keratosis, erythematous lesions, and hyperpigmentation macules. In this serial case report, we presented four cases with XP from two families in Indonesia. Both families were referred from rural referral health centers, and each family has two affected siblings. They had freckle-like pigmentation on the face, trunk, and extremities, which progressed since childhood. One patient of family 2 died because of an infectious disease. Histopathological examination using cytokeratine (CK), CD10, and Ber-EP4 staining from available tissue biopsy of one affected case of family 1 identified basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on the cheek and melanoma on the right eye. Mutation analysis found ERCC2, c2047C>T and XPC, c1941T>A in the first and second families, respectively. We suppose that this is the first case report of XP in Indonesia that incorporates clinical examination, genetic analysis, and extensive histopathological examination, including immunohistochemistry staining, and a novel pathogenic variant of XPC was found in the second family.