Immunomodulatory Effects Of Sereh Wangi Leaf (Cymbopogon Nardus) Extracts In Raw 264.7 Cells

Abstract

Background: Pathogens can more easily enter the body and cause several disorders such as coronavirus. According to WHO, 770,838,745 people were infected by COVID-19 and 6,988,679 people were died. This encourages research on immunomodulatory agents derived from natural materials, including sereh wangi leaf (Cymbopogon nardus), which contain potential compounds immunomodulators, including flavonoids, phenols, and tannins. In previous studies, C. nardus extract has been shown to increase lymphocyte and leukocyte numbers. Aim: To identified the compound content in C. nardus extract and to know the immunomodulatory activity of C. nardus extract on RAW 264.7 cell viability. Method: The collected C. nardus simplicia was oven at 50°C for 6 hours and grounded into powder. The UAE method and 96% ethanol were used for extraction and then thickened using a rotary evaporator. The extracts compound was identified by thin layer chromatography using spray reagents. The RAW 264.7 cells were cultured and C. nardus extract was diluted with DMSO to get concentration series of 6.25-200 μg/mL for cell viability assay. The absorbance value of cell viability was read using an ELISA reader and the data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel to obtain the percentage of cell viability and IC10. Result: Flavonoid, phenol, and terpenoid components were present in the ethanolic extract of C. nardus with extract yield 1.54%. The C. nardus extract showed immunomodulatory effects at concentrations of 6.25-150 ug/mL, as it could increase cell growth with percent cell viability exceeding 90%. However, cell growth was inhibited at concentration 200 μg/mL with a percent cell viability of 76%. Furthermore, the IC10 value obtained was 136.9539 μg/mL. Thus, the effect of the C. nardus extract depends on the concentration administered. Conclusion: The ethanolic extracts of C. nardus contain flavonoid, phenol, and terpenoid compounds, which can influence the growth of RAW 264.7 cells with various concentrations.