Activity of -terpineol as a potential anticancer candidate: cytotoxicity, proapoptotic and antiproliferative evaluation in TD47 cell lines

Previous study has shown that -terpineol has a cytotoxic effect on NCI-H69 cancer cell line.This study aimed to evaluate cytotoxicity, proapoptotic, and antiproliferative activities of -terpineol in T47D cell lines. The cytotoxic activity of -terpineol was determined using MTT cellviability assay, while apoptosis was tested by the acridine orange-ethidium bromide stainingmethod. The cell cycle was evaluated by flowcytometry method. The results showed that -terpineol had cytotoxic effect on the T47D cells with the IC50 value of 135.00 ± 8.74 M.Furthermore, -terpineol induced the cells apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Flowcytometryanalysis showed that -terpineol induced the T47D cell distribution in Go/G1 phase, howeverinhibited cell distribution in S phase. This study suggests that -terpineol has a potential anticanceractivity

Essential Oil Profiling and Antibacterial Activity of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. Originated from Yogyakarta by GC-MS

As a tropical country, Indonesia has a large diversity of flora and fauna, including numerous medicinal plants. Although herbs are widely used for medicinal purposes, their pharmacological effect often varies. This variability is frequently attributed to differences in the geographical locations where these plants are grown, leading to variations in the content of active metabolites. In this study, the profile of metabolite content in the essential oil of C. xanthorriza rhizomes was cultivated in three different regions in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, namely Mangunan, Ngawen, and Menoreh. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was employed to assess the metabolite content of essential oil. At the same time, antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated using the microdilution method. Results indicated that the rhizome from Mangunan has the highest xanthorrhizol content with a percentage area of 21.07%. The Biplot on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the relationship of compound levels of the three essential oils has no similarity with one another. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration at 50% (MIC-50) values of C. xanthorriza essential oils from Mangunan, Menoreh, and Ngawen regions were lower in inhibiting the growth of E. coli bacteria (1620.78 ppm; 1777.69 ppm; and 1688.39 ppm, respectively) compared to S. aureus bacteria (3080.80 ppm; 3340.14 ppm; and 2869.54 ppm, respectively)

Revealing Chemopreventive Potential of Active Constituents from Medicinal Herbs Used in Indonesia for (Metastatic) Breast Cancer with Particular Molecular Targets

Breast cancer remains as one of the highest causes of cancer-related deaths in the world, including Indonesia. In spite of following the standard protocol therapy, some patients in developing countries consume medicinal herbs as an alternative, complementary, as well as supportive therapies. Several herbs have been recognized to be used for this purpose. Annona muricata, Curcuma longa, Curcuma zanthorrhiza, Curcuma zedoaria, Phyllanthus urinaria, Gynura procumbens, Garcinia mangostana, Morinda citrifolia, and Nigella sativa are some of the plants used as chemopreventive agents with several formulas. Various types of extracts of Annona muricata show anticancer activities in vitro and in vivo. Curcumin, obtained from Curcuma longa and Curcuma zanthorrhiza, acts as p53 regulator and pro-oxidant in MCF-7 cells and also acts as a fatty acid synthase inhibitor in MDA-MB-231 cells. Xanthorrhizol from Curcuma zanthorrhiza has pro-apoptotic activity via modulation of Bcl-2, p53, and PARP-1 protein levels. Curcuma zedoaria contains curcumenone, curcumenol and curdion, which show pro-apoptotic activity in various cell lines and a cancer-induced mouse model. Corilagin and geraniin from Phyllanthus urinaria have different pro-apoptotic effects, in which, the corilagin-caused apoptotic effect is mediated by extrinsic and mitochondrial pathways, whereas geraniin induces apoptosis via ROS-mediated stimulation, both in MCF-7 cells. Thymoquinone from Nigella sativa has been extensively studied for its anticancer activities in recent years. Plants are cultivated, collected and mixed depending on the use as herbal medicines. Active compounds might be formulated if deemed possible. The development of more potential derivatives is also necessary to produce more optimum anti-cancer agents. In conclusion, Indonesian plants and their active constituents show potential activities to be developed as chemopreventive agents.Keywords: Indonesian medicinal herbs, breast cancer, active constituents, molecular target

Implementing online team-based learning in an interuniversity setting: A case study of a traditional medicine course

Background: Online team-based learning is a crucial teaching method to successfully increase students’ engagement during the pandemic. This study provides a report on online team-based learning during a traditional medicine course attended by undergraduate students from different higher education institutions in Indonesia and overseas. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to determine the active participation of team members and to carry out a course evaluation Results: The learning outcome was successfully achieved as 96% of the groups scored above the passing grade for the team-based projects. Students from various institutions had generally positive opinions on the course, especially on the course design, course material and the speakers, and the collaborative working with students from diverse backgrounds. Conclusion: Language barriers and technical difficulties were some factors that hindered the students from gaining full benefit from the course, and thus should be mitigated in the implementation of online team-based learning. Additionally, a well-designed pre-test and post-test survey should be conducted to aid the assessment of students’ comprehension of the course

Antiviral Activity of Cananga odorata Against Hepatitis B Virus

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current therapeutic drugs for chronic hepatitis B using pegylated interferons and nucleos(t)ide analogs have limited efficacy. Therefore, the development of novel and safe antivirals is required. Natural products including medicinal plants produce complex and structurally diverse compounds, some of which offer suitable targets for antiviral screening studies. In the present study, we screened various crude extracts from Indonesian plants for anti-HBV activity by determining their effects on the production of extracellular HBV DNA in Hep38.7-Tet cells and HBV entry onto a HBV-susceptible cell line, HepG2-NTCP, with the following results: (1) In Hep38.7-Tet cells, Cananga odorata exhibited the highest anti-HBV activity with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 56.5 μg/ml and 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) of 540.2 μg/ml (Selectivity Index: 9.6). (2) The treatment of HepG2-NTCP cells with Cassia fistula, C. odorata, and Melastoma malabathricum at concentrations of 100 μg/ml lowered the levels of HBsAg production to 51.2%, 58.0%, and 40.1%, respectively, compared to untreated controls, and IC50 and CC50 values of C. odorata were 142.9 μg/ml and >400 μg/ml. In conclusion, the C. odorata extract could be a good candidate for the development of anti-HBV drugs