Uji Aktivitas Antihiperurisemia Ekstrak Etanol beberapa Tumbuhan Famili Asteraceae

Tumbuhan famili Asteraceae sering digunakan masyarakat sebagai obat tradisional. Efek farmakologi tumbuhan Asteraceae dapat dikaitkan dengan berbagai senyawa fitokimia, termasuk polifenol, asam fenolik, flavonoid, asetilena dan triterpen. Flavonoid telah terbukti memiliki aktivitas tinggi untuk penghambatan terhadap xantin oksidase, dan ditemukan memiliki kemampuan untuk menurunkan kadar asam urat dalam serum. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk menguji aktivitas antihiperurisemia ekstrak etanol beberapa tumbuhan anggota famili Asteraceae (Taraxacum officinale, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Elephantopus scaber, Gynura procumbens, Ageratum conyzoides, Sonchus arvensis, Gynura divaricate) terhadap hewan uji mencit (Mus musculus). Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah eksperimental dengan menggunakan hewan uji mencit jantan galur Balb/c. Pada penelitian ini kadar asam urat diukur menggunakan metode POCT (Point of Care Testing) dengan alat UA Sure. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa semua tumbuhan famili Asteraceae yang diuji positif mengandung senyawa flavonoid. Tumbuhan yang memberikan efek antihiperurisemia paling tinggi dalam menurunkan kadar asam urat yaitu ekstrak etanol Tempuyung (Sonchus arvensis) pada dosis 500 mg/Kg BB dengan persentase penurunan sebesar 52% ± 0,2. Sedangkan penurunan paling terkecil pada ekstrak etanol Bandotan (Ageratum conyzoides) pada dosis 500 mg/KgBB dengan presentase penurunan sebesar 4,80% ± 0,01. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa ekstrak etanol beberapa tumbuhan famili Asteraceae berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap penurunan kadar asam urat pada mencit dan memiliki potensi sebagai obat antihiperurisemia.

Synergistic Cytotoxicity between Elephantopus scaber and Tamoxifen on MCF-7-Derived Multicellular Tumor Spheroid

Elephantopus scaber Linn, a traditional herb, exhibited anticancer properties, and it was cytotoxic against the monolayer estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, in the previous study. In order to determine the potential of E. scaber as a complementary medicine for breast cancer, this study aimed to evaluate the synergism between E. scaber and tamoxifen in cytotoxicity using MCF-7 in the form of 3-dimensional multicellular tumor spheroid (MCTS) cultures. MCTS represents a more reliable model for studying drug penetration as compared to monolayer cells due to its greater resemblance to solid tumor. Combination of E. scaber ethanol extract and tamoxifen, which were used in concentrations lower than their respective IC50 values, had successfully induced apoptosis on MCTS in this study. The combinatorial treatment showed >58% increase of lactate dehydrogenase release in cell media, cell cycle arrest at the S phase, and 1.3 fold increase in depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. The treated MCTS also experienced DNA fragmentation; this had been quantified by TUNEL-positive assay, which showed >64% increase in DNA damaged cells. Higher externalization of phospatidylserine and distorted and disintegrated spheroids stained by acridine orange/propidium iodide showed that the cell death was mainly due to apoptosis. Further exploration showed that the combinatorial treatment elevated caspases-8 and 9 activities involving both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of apoptosis. The treatment also upregulated the expression of proapoptotic gene HSP 105 and downregulated the expression of prosurvival genes such as c-Jun, ICAM1, and VEGF. In conclusion, these results suggested that the coupling of E. scaber to low concentration of tamoxifen showed synergism in cytotoxicity and reducing drug resistance in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

Dietary Supplementation With Didancao (Elephantopus scaber L.) Improves Meat Quality and Intestinal Development in Jiaji Ducks

Didancao (Elephantopus scaber L.) has been used as a traditional herbal medicine and has exhibited a beneficial role in animal health. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with E. scaber on growth performance, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and microbiota composition in ducks. A total of 480 Jiaji ducks (42 days old, male:female ratio = 1:1) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments. There were six replicates per treatment, with 20 ducks per replicate. The ducks in the control group (Con) were fed a basal diet; the three experimental groups were fed a basal diet supplementation with 30 (T1), 80 (T2), and 130 mg/kg (T3) of E. scaber. After a 48-day period of supplementation, growth performance, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and microbiota composition were evaluated. The results showed that no differences were observed in the final body weight, average daily feed intake, and average daily gain among the four groups. Compared with that in the Con group, the feed conversion in the T1 and T2 groups was increased significantly; the T2 group was shown to decrease the concentration of alanine aminotransferase in serum; the T3 group was lower than the Con group in the concentration of aspartate aminotransferase and was higher than the Con group in the concentration of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. The highest concentration of creatinine was observed in the T1 group. The T2 group was higher than the Con group in the contents of Phe, Ala, Gly, Glu, Arg, Lys, Tyr, Leu, Ser, Thr, Asp, and total amino acids in the breast muscle. Moreover, the T2 group was higher than the Con group in the contents of meat C18:2n−6 and polyunsaturated fatty acid. The concentration of inosinic acid in the T1, T2, and T3 groups was significantly higher than that in the Con group. However, the Con group was higher than the T2 or T3 group in the Zn content. The T2 group was lower than the Con group in the jejunal crypt depth. The T3 group was higher than the Con group in the ileal villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth. In addition, the T3 group had a trend to significantly increase the abundance of Fusobacteria. Compared with the Con group, the T1 and T2 groups displayed a higher abundance of Subdoligranulum. Collectively, dietary supplementation with 80 mg/kg of E. scaber improves meat quality and intestinal development in ducks.

Effect of Elephantopus Scaber Linn. leaf extract on mouse immune system

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Elephantopus Scaber Linn. ethanol extract on mouse immune system based on macrophage phagocytic activity and capacity, total leukocyte count, and distribution of each type of leukocyte. Methods: Twenty male mice were randomly assigned to four groups. Group I (control) received sodium carboxy methyl cellulose (Na-CMC), 0.5 %). Groups II, III, and IV were dosed orally with 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg ethanol E. scaber leaf extract, respectively, for 7 consecutive days. On the 8th day, a suspension of Staphylococcus aureus was injected intraperitoneally, and macrophage activity and capacity as well as leukocyte count were then measured using a counting chamber device (hemocytometer) and a 400 x microscope. Results: The effect of the leaf extract at doses of 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg was increase in macrophage activity by 46.25, 54, and 65 %, and macrophage capacity by 95.8, 105.4 and 125.8 cell/100 macrophage, respectively; total leukocyte count was 10790, 12360, and 15230 cells/µl, respectively, and lymphocyte was 34.4, 34.6, and 36 %. Thus, the leaf extract significantly increased macrophage activity and capacity, as well as segmented neutrophils, and mice total leukocyte counts (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Ethanol extract of E scaber leaf extract increases macrophage activity and capacity, as well as total leukocyte count in mouse; therefore, this extract may provide a highly effective approach for boosting immunity.

Pemanfaataan Tapak Liman (Elephantopus scaber) Sebagai Obat Tradisional dan Bioaktivitasnya

Background: Elephantopus scaber (ES) or tapak liman has been used by various ethnic groups in Indonesia and other countries as traditional medicine. Objectives: Comprehensive review of ES bioactivity is still limited, especially in the Indonesian language. Research Metodes: The writing of this article is based on a study of literature published on line and off line using several keywords Elephantopus scaber, bioactivities of Elephantopus scaber and uses of Elephantopus scaber. Results: In ethnobotany ES used wound medication, treatment of nephritis, edema, humidity, chest pain, fever, scabies, sores, coughs, tonics, fever, and bronchitis, and asthma. In China, ES leaves have been developed into "tea" to cure various diseases. The bioactivity of ES is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anticancer, hepatoprotective, stimulates hair growth, anti-diabetes mellitus, anti-wound, antioxidant, anti-neuroinflamation and overcoming kidney disorders. Conclusion: Deoxyelephantopin is one of the main sesquiterpenes lactones derived from ES has anti-cancer anti-cancer development. The development of ES tea as an anti-cancer needs to be further investigated because this plant is very easy to find in Indonesia. Keywords: Elephantophus scaber, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, deoxyelephantopin

The combination of Elephantopus scaber and Sauropus androgynus promotes erythroid lineages and modulates follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels in pregnant mice infected with Escherichia coli

Background and Aim: Escherichia coli infection produces an adverse effect on the erythrocyte lineage and hormone levels during pregnancy. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Elephantopus scaber (ES) and Sauropus androgynus (SA) in combination on circulating follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and erythropoiesis changes in E. coli-infected pregnant mice. Materials and Methods: Female Balb/c mice were mated with normal male mice and pregnancies were identified by the formation of vaginal plugs. Twenty-eight pregnant mice were divided randomly into seven groups: A control group (N), E. coli-infected pregnant mice (K+), and infected pregnant mice received the following five treatments: (1) Only ES; (2) ESSA1 (75:25); (3) ESSA2 (50:50); (4) ESSA3 (25:75); and (5) only SA, beginning from the 1st to the 16th day of pregnancy. Pregnant mice were infected with 107 CFU/mL of E. coli on day 4. Blood serum was collected on days 8, 12, and 16 of pregnancy and LH and FSH levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bone marrow was isolated to determine the relative number of TER-119+VLA4+ and TER-119+CD34+ using flow cytometry. Results: The ESSA1 and SA groups exhibited a marked increase in LH levels. The combination of ES and SA administered at a 25:75 ratio (ESSA3) altered FSH levels and the relative number of TER-119+VLA4+ in infected pregnant mice. Combined with SA at an equal ratio (50:50), ESSA2 group exhibited a significant increase in the expression of TER119+CD34+ compared with the other treatment groups. Conclusion: ES and SA combined at a ratio of 25:75 exhibited optimal results in altering hormonal and erythropoiesis in infected pregnant mice.

Utilization of Elephantopus scaber as traditional medicine and its bioactivity

Elephantopus scaber has been used various ethnic groups in Indonesia and other countries as traditional medicine. Comprehensive study of the bioactivity of E. scaber is still limited, therefore this paper aims to explain the relationship between the use and its bioactivity. The writing of this article is based on a study of literature published online and offline used keywords E. scaber, bioactivities of E. scaber and uses of E. scaber. Ethnobotanically, E. scaber used to tread wound, nephritis, edema, chest pain, fever, scabies, sores, coughs, tonics, fever, and bronchitis, and asthma. The local communities in China, E. scaber leaves have been developed into "tea" to cure various diseases. The bioactivity of E. scaber is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anticancer, hepatoprotective, stimulates hair growth, anti-diabetes mellitus, anti-wound, antioxidant, and overcoming kidney disorders. Deoxyelephantopin is one of the main sesquiterpenes lactones derived from E. scaber has anti-cancer anticancer development. The development of E. scaber tea as an anti-cancer needs to be further investigated because this plant is very easy to find in Indonesia.