Students of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) sought to combine tea leaf extract and soursop leaves to coin a colon cancer drug. They proposed the notion to Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa (PKM) 2018 organized by Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti).
The team consisting of Nazariah Putri (2014), Harena Anggun Lakshita (2016), and Melany Ayu Octavia (2017) conducted research entitled “Camanonna Sirup: Sirup Inovasi Masa Kini dengan Kombinasi Ekstrak Etanol Daun Teh (Camelia sinensis. L) dan Daun Sirsak (Annona muricata. L) sebagai agen kemopreventif pada Kanker Kolon” – “Camanonna Syrup: Current Innovation Syrup with Combination of Tea Leaf Ethanol Extract (Camelia sinensis (L.)) and Soursop Leaf (Annona muricata (L)) as a chemopreventive agent for Colon Cancer.”
The team leader Nazariah Putri stated that before the two leaver were examined, they were determined. Afterwards, they were extracted by ethanol to obtain viscous extract used for further tests. “Then, a molecular docking test is undertaken using an Autodock Vina application. This method aims to identify active compounds which hamper an activity of certain proteins. The findings show a small score that the smaller the score, the better the bonding of active compounds and proteins,” told Nazariah in an interview on Monday (16/7).
Nazriah added that another method employed in the research was Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) to prove whether or not the extract of both leaves contains flavonoids. “The method uses UV rays. The extract is put on a plate and irradiated by UV rays. If the extract turns into purple or yellow, the extract positively encompasses flavonoids. Plants comprising of flavonoids can become an antioxidant for cancer,” she explained.
Next, an antioxidant test was carried out through a DPPH method. The ethanol extract combination of both leaves revealed a score of 26.90 meaning very strong. “Based on the data, the extract can become a supplement or a standardized herbal drug,” she maintained.
“We expect that this research can contribute to development of science, particularly a field of pharmacy. Indeed, it can be information for people to utilize herbs which are combination of tea leaf and soursop leaf extract as a chemopreventive cancer, especially colon cancer,” she hoped.
