Evaluation of neuroprotective effect of myrmecodia platytyrea aqueous extract on Fe2SO4-induced astrocytes (C8-D1A) / Nurfishah Muhamad Shukri

Myrmecodia platytyrea was claimed to have antioxidant compounds which have significant pharmacological properties to treat several diseases such as ulcer, diarrhoea, tumour and also in management of cancers. However, not many studies conducted on M. platytyrea in the research of discovery of its therapeutic effect especially in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, this research was aimed to study the ability of M. platytyrea which possessed antioxidant activity to fight against oxidative stress in astrocyte-induced oxidative stress. Firstly, the cytotoxicity of M. platytyrea extract was evaluated using MIT assay on astrocytes (C8D1A) with different concentration of the aqueous extract. After the IC50 value was determined, three concentrations were chosen to measure the ability of M platytyrea extract to protect astrocytes against oxidative stress. Astrocytes were induced with both Fe2S04 alone and with the combination of H202 and Fe2S04. The value of ICso obtained in this study was 501.19± 161.11 µg/mL. The percentage of cell death after being treated with 500 µg/mL extract (induced by both hydrogen peroxide and Fe2S04) was lower than the percentage of cell death induced with Fe2S04 alone. M. platytyrea may have potential antioxidant activities, however high concentration (500 µg/mL) of M. platytyrea suggested a change in mode of action from antioxidant to pro-oxidant. This study implied that M. platytyrea is a new potential plant from Rubiaceae family to be discovered as a neuroprotective agent that requires further investigations.