ETHANOLIC LEAVES EXTRACT OF AWAR-AWAR (FICUS SEPTICA) AS SELECTIVE CHEMOPREVENTIVE AGENT ON VARIOUS CANCER CELLS

Abstract

Treatment of cancer such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy have many side effects such as cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and immunosuppressant, therefore selective cochemopreventive agent is needed.  Awar-awar (Ficus septica) is  a  traditional  medicinal  plant  that  is  known as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent. The purpose of this study was to determine the cytotoxic effect of ethanolic leaves extract of awar-awar (EFs) against 4T1 and MCF7/HER2 breast cancer cells; WIDR colon cells cancer, HeLa cervix cells cancer, and Vero normal cells. The cytotoxic test was performed by MTT assay. The parameter obtained from the cytotoxic test was IC₅₀. Selectivity index was determined from IC₅₀ ratio of cancer cells to normal cells Vero. The results showed that EFs has a cytotoxic activity on cancer cell line with IC₅₀ 61,2 µg/mL on 4T1; 48 µg/mL on MCF7/HER2; 122,4 µg/mL on Hela; 75,9 µg/mL on WiDR; and 394,8 µg/mL on Vero. It can be concluded that  EFs has high selectivity on various cancer cells with selectivity index more than 3.