The Antioxidant Activity of Sappan (Caesalpinia sappan L.) Wood Extract on HaCaT Cells

Abstract

The skin plays various roles in our body, including protection and cosmetic role, which directly correlates with someone’s appearance. Like our other organs, the skin is also prone to aging, and it can cause changes in the visible appearance, such as wrinkles, dryness, and loss of elasticity. Skin aging is mostly caused by excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation that leads to oxidative stress. A natural compound found in Caesalpinia sappan L. (Sappan) wood was shown to exert a high antioxidant activity that can decrease the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This experiment aims to evaluate the antioxidant activity of Sappan wood extract using immortalized human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Sappan wood in the form of powder was macerated using 96% ethanol and evaporated using a rotary evaporator. The final extract underwent cell viability assay and antioxidant activity evaluation using the MTS assay method. In this study, Sappan wood extract did not cause any significant cytotoxicity until the concentration of 15.625 µg/mL. The antioxidant assay showed that the concentration of 7.826 µg/mL displayed the most effective and significant antioxidant activity towards H2O2-treated HaCaT cells. At a concentration of 7.826 µg/mL, Sappan wood extract would serve as the ideal concentration to be mixed into a cream to treat skin aging.