The effect of ethyl acetat fraction of Caesalpinia sappan L. wood on PC3 cancer cell line : cell viability and migration study

Background: The high incidence of cancer, including prostate cancer, in Indonesia create a high burden on health economic cost. Development of cancer therapy based on local natural resources may help the country to alleviate the burden. This research aimed to find out the potency of selected compound of ethyl acetate fractions of Caesalpinia sappan as anti-cancer by using PC3 cancer cell line as an in vitro model of prostate cancer. Methods: Ethyl acetate fraction of Caesalpinia sappan L. heartwood was prepared using a liquid chromatography method. The effect of ethyl acetate fraction 9 on anti-proliferative and cell migration activities was assessed using MTT assay and migration assay. Results: Fraction-9 of ethyl acetate fraction of Caesalpinia sappan L. wood showed inhibition of PC3 cancer cell line proliferation. The IC50 of the fraction was 14.99μg/ml. The migration assay showed inhibition of cell migration on dose 10μg/ml compared to the 0 doses, while most of the cells cultured was dead when treated with 100μg/ml fraction 9. Conclusion: Ethyl acetate fraction 9 of Caesalpinia sappan L. heartwood possibly has anti-cancer properties based on its anti-proliferative and anti-migration activities against PC3 cancer cell line. (Health Science Journal of Indonesia 2020;11(2):100-5) Keyword: ethyl acetate fraction, Caesalpinia sappan, prostate cancer, PC3, cell migration Vol. 11, No. 2, December2020 The effect of caesalpinia sappan on PC3 101 The increasing cancer incidence worldwide put the disease on the high rank of global health challenge. The high mortality rate of the cancer patient and the expensive cost of cancer therapy justify cancer as a catastrophic disease.1 Global cancer observatory (Globocan) reported 11.361 new prostate cancer cases in 2018 in Indonesia. The incidence rate and mortality rate of prostate cancer are in the third rank among other cancer in the male in Indonesia.2 The application of the screening method on patients with urologic symptoms increases the detection rate of prostate cancer.3 Current therapeutic approaches for prostate cancer in Indonesia include surgery, External Beam Radiation Therapy, and Adjuvant Androgen Deprivation Therapy.4 Although advanced cancer therapy has been available nowadays, the cost of cancer therapy hampers many cancer patients from low-income society to seek immediate and appropriate cancer treatment. This condition urges the need to investigate the potential use of local plant medicine as cancer therapy. In this study, we report the anti-cancer activity of one of Indonesian plant medicine, known with local name as secang. The Latin name of Secang is Caesalpinia sappan L. The heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan has been widely used as Javanese traditional medicine.5 In the field of cancer research, attention has been largely spent to study the potential anti-cancer activity of compounds isolated from Caesalpinia sappan L. Caesalpinia sappan heartwood contains many active compounds with anti-cancer activities including protosappanin B6 Brazilein,7 Brazilin8. Brazilin is the major compound of Caesalpinia sappan L. heartwood which gives the red color when dissolved in water.9 This study investigated the anti-cancer activity of the ethyl acetate fraction of Caesalpinia sappan on PC3 cancer cell line.