The polyphenol plant extracts have previously been demonstrated to act as chemopreventive and anticancer agents. Ficus carica is a rich source of polyphenols, yet its antioxidant and anticancer activities remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to determine the anticancer activity of F carica leaf and fruit extracts by investigating their impact on proliferation, apoptosis, and Huh7it cell necrosis. Leaves and fruits were extracted using methanol, and the phytochemical contents were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The antioxidant activity was measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method. Anticancer activities were examined through MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assay on Huh7it liver cancer cells. The apoptosis and necrosis conditions were examined using Annexin biomarkers V-PI and later analyzed in flow cytometry. F carica leaves and fruit examined were found to have strong antioxidant activities with IC 50 values of 7.9875 µg/mL and 13.402 µg/mL, respectively. MTT assay results indicated F carica leaves and fruit had IC 50 values >653 μg/mL and >2000 μg/mL, respectively. The flow cytometry analysis indicated a higher percentage of Huh7it apoptosis and necrosis in leaf extracts compared with fruit extracts. The difference in anticancer activity was attributed to differing compounds present in each extract.

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Okra pods were widely consumed by Indonesians to maintain health. The aim of this study was at investigating the potential of crude polysaccharides from okra pods on immune response in mice infected with Staphylococcus aureus. Thirty male Balb/C mice were divided into six groups: normal control, negative control, and treatment groups (administration of crude polysaccharides at doses of 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg). Crude polysaccharides were administrated for fourteen days. Furthermore, mice were exposed to S. aureus at the fifteenth day. Two weeks after the end of treatment, the parameters were measured. This study showed that crude polysaccharides at a dose of 75 and 100 mg/kg improved phagocytic activity, spleen index, and splenocytes proliferation. Rising of TNF-α levels was shown in groups treated with crude polysaccharides at doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg. All treatment groups showed a decreasing level of IL-17. Crude okra polysaccharides also showed a slight increase in NK cells activity and IFN-γ level. Thus, crude okra polysaccharides could act as an effective material to enhance immune response including phagocytic activity, spleen index, splenocytes proliferation, and control immune responses through cytokine production.

Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) is one among many viruses that infect sugarcane, cause yield loss, and become serious disease agents on sugarcane plantations. Since the morphological symptoms of SCMV are similar to other symptoms caused by Sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV) or nitrogen deficiency, the detection of SCMV is important through accurate diagnostic-like ELISA or RT-PCR. This research aimed to study the causative mosaic pathogen of SCMV in East Java, Indonesia, including mosaic development. The results showed that the mosaic symptom is present in all sugarcane plantations with 78% and 65% disease incidence and severity, respectively. Moreover, the detection procedure based on an amplification of cDNA of the coat protein gene sequence confirmed that SCMV was the causative agent of mosaic disease on sugarcane. Re-inoculation of healthy sugarcane plants with plant sap from a symptomatic leaf from the field showed similar mosaic or yellowish chlorotic areas on the leaf blade, and appeared on the fourth leaves upward from the inoculation leaf, in addition to showing different levels of peroxidase but not total phenol. Mosaic also correlated with the amount of total chlorophyll. Although Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) protein accumulation and activity were at a lower level in infected leaves, sucrose accumulation was at a higher level in the same leaves.

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