Daun Guazuma ulmifolia telah digunakan secara tradisional untuk antiobesitas. Aktivitas antiobesitas dipengaruhi oleh kandungan senyawa bioaktif. Ekstraksi adalah langkah utama untuk mendapatkan senyawa bioaktif. Metode dan pelarut ekstraksi merupakan faktor penting untuk menghasilkan ekstrak dengan jumlah kandungan senyawa aktif yang tinggi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan kadar fenol dan flavonoid total dari ekstrak etanol, rebusan, dan infusa daun G. ulmifolia serta untuk menentukan aktivitas antioksidan serta antilipase. Metode Folin-Ciocalteu digunakan untuk menentukan kadar fenol total, sedangkan penentuan kadar flavonoid total dilakukan menggunakan uji kolorimetri aluminium klorida. Aktivitas antioksidan ditentukan dengan metode 2,2-difenil-1-pikrillhidrazil (DPPH), dan aktivitas antilipase dikuantifikasi secara kolorimetri berdasarkan pelepasan p-nitrofenol dari substrat p-nitrofenil butirat (p-NPB). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa rebusan memiliki rendemen tertinggi (10,50%). Sebaliknya, ekstrak etanol menunjukkan total kandungan fenolik tertinggi (67,761 ± 1,811 mg GAE/g ekstrak)  dan total kandungan flavonoid tertinggi (124,643 ± 1,033 mg QE/g ekstrak). Ekstrak yang sama juga menunjukkan aktivitas antioksidan dan aktivitas antilipase tertinggi (IC50 berturut-turut 6,544 ± 0,271 μg/mL dan 307,280 ± 21,430 μg/mL).

The prognosis of breast cancer patients is closely associated with the response of tumor cells to chemotherapy agent. Doxorubicin is one of the primary chemotherapeutic agents used for the treatment of breast cancer. Resistance to chemotherapy is believed to cause treatment failure in cancer patients. Furthermore, long time exposure to chemotherapeutic agent induces cancer cells resistance. MCF-7 sensitive cells used as chemoresistance model have overexpression P-gp (P-glycoprotein). Chemoresistance was established by treating MCF-7 cells with 0.5 µg/ml doxorubicin-contained medium for a week. 50% inhibiting concentration (IC50) doxorubicin on MCF-7 cells/DOX were determined using MTT assay. Western blot assay and immunocytochemistry assay was performed to determine the expression of P-gp. Morphological of MCF-7 cell/DOX was changing to become larger and have lamellapodia. IC50 value of doxorubicin was 700 nM on MCF-7/DOX and 400 nM on sensitive MCF-7 cells. The MCF-7/DOX sensitivity to doxorubicin was decreased, shown by 1.5 fold higher IC50 of doxorubicin on MCF-7/DOX compared to MCF-7 sensitive cells. Treatment doxorubicin to sensitive MCF-7 cells leads to the increasing P-gp expression. The P-gp level expression has strong correlation with the low sensitivity of MCF-7/DOX to doxorubicin.Keywords: doxorubicin, resistance cells, sensitive MCF-7 cell

Background: Gingival tissue and periodontal ligament act as sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that play a vital role in periodontal regeneration, but they both have limitations for cell availability. MSCs cultivated and expanded in various media formulations could be used as a basis for the development of cell therapy protocols. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the optimum culture media formulation for cultivation and expansion of human gingival-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hGMSCs) and human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). Methods: The hGMSCs and hPDLSCs were obtained from gingival tissue and periodontal ligament specimens from an adult patient. The two different culture media formulations used were: 1) α-minimum essential media (α-MEM) supplemented with 10% FBS, 100 U/mL penicillin, 100mg/mL streptomycin and 2.5 µg/mL amphotericin B; and 2) Dulbecco’s minimum essential media-Low Glucose (DMEM-LG) supplemented with 10% FBS, 2 mMol/L L-glutamine, 100 U/mL penicillin, 100mg/mL streptomycin and 2.5 µg/mL amphotericin B. The minced-gingival tissue and periodontal ligament samples were seeded in 3 cm tissue culture dishes with one of two experimental culture media, and incubated at 37oC in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2. Results: Cell morphology was observed on days two and five of the third passage. The gingival tissue and periodontal ligament primary cells exhibited fibroblast-like morphology, long processes and were spindle-shaped. The hPDLSCs grown in α-MEM exhibited a significant increase in cell viability and proliferation rate compared to the hPDLSCs grown in DMEM-LG. However, hGMSCs displayed similar cell viability and proliferation rate on both types of experimental media. Both the hGMSCs and hPDLSCs expressed MSC markers, including CD105, CD146, and CD90, but did not express CD45. Conclusion: Culture media formulations of α-MEM and DMEM-LG can be used for the cultivation and expansion of both hGMSCs and hPDLSCs.

Context: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world. Treatment failure in cancer can be caused due to drug resistance and toxicity. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new drugs that have relatively smaller side effects, one of which is by screening natural ingredients. One of the plants that have the potential for anticancer therapy is red betel (Piper crocatum). Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of methanolic extract of P. crocatum leaf (MEPcL) as a cytotoxic agent and phytochemical screening of MEPcL.

Flavonoid has potential bioactivity as anticancer agents. The flavonoid of cultivated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), locally known as “Kasturi”, leaves was screened for its cytotoxicity against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and non-transformed Vero cells (African normal cell kidney line) in different concentrations. This study aimed to examine the cytotoxic potential of the flavonoid of Kasturi tobacco leaves against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Flavonoid obtained from methanolic extracts of Kasturi tobacco leaves, which have been purified from nicotine. The flavonoid of Kasturi tobacco leaves with concentrations of 20 to 640 μg/mL were exposed to MCF-7 and Vero cells for 24 h. Cell viability was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Flavonoid of Kasturi tobacco leaves with concentrations of 160 μg/mL decreased the MCF-7 cell viability more than 50%, with an inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) value of 148.41 μg/mL. Meanwhile, it inhibited 50% of Vero cell viability at 255.35 μg/mL. The flavonoid of Kasturi tobacco leaves has cytotoxic activity on MCF-7 cells, and might be a potential alternative agent for human breast cancer therapy.Keywords: flavonoid, tobacco leaves, human breast cancer cells, anticancer activity