~ 24 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2019; 8(4): 24-33 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 JPP 2019; 8(4): 24-33 Received: 10-05-2019 Accepted: 12-06-2019 Kosasih Kosasih Doctoral Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Pancasila, Jakarta, Indonesia Wahono Sumaryono Doctoral Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Pancasila, Jakarta, Indonesia Agus Supriono Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi, Puspiptek Serpong, Banten, Indonesia Diky Mudhakir School of Pharmacy, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia Correspondence to Kosasih Kosasih Correspondence Kosasih Kosasih Doctoral Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Pancasila, Jakarta, Indonesia Cytotoxicity of ethyl acetate extract of Cantigi ( Vaccinium varingiaefolium (Blume) Miq. young leaves on Artemia salina L. larvae, MCF-7, T47D, and vero cell lines Kosasih Kosasih, Wahono Sumaryono, Agus Supriono and Diky Mudhakir Abstract Cantigi (Vaccinium varingiaefolium (Blume) Miq.) is endemic plant of Java dominating sub-alpine area of Mount Tangkuban Parahu. Its young leaves are red and will turn green. Previous study reported that ethyl acetate extract of young leaves had antioxidant activity using DPPH method and cytotoxic activity against leukemia L1210 cell lines. This experiment was designed to know whether ethyl acetate (EA) extract of Cantigi leaves had cytotoxic activity against Artemia salina L. larvae, breast cancer cell lines T47D and MCF-7, and normal cell line Vero. Dried leaves were extracted with maceration method, firstly, using hexane, and then EA. Obtained EA extract was dried using rotary evaporator. EA extract was examined its cytotoxic activity using Brine Shrimp Lethality Test (BSLT) method, against breast cancer cell lines T47D and MCF-7, and normal cell line Vero using Microculture Tetrazolium Salt (MTT) method. As the positive control, cisplatin was used. This experiment showed that LC50 of the extract was 320.83 ppm, IC50 against breast cancer cell line T47D was 75.23 ppm, IC50 against breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was 88, 89 ppm, IC50 against normal cell line Vero was 305 ppm, and IC50 of cisplatin against breast cancer cell line T47D was 3.91 ppm. It can be concluded that the EA extract has cytotoxic activity with LC50 < 1000 ppm, strong cytotoxic activity against both breast cancer cell lines tested with IC50 < 100 ppm, has weak cytotoxic activity against normal cell line Vero with IC50 > 300 ppm, and potentially as a candidate for breast cancer therapy. Keywords: Cantigi, Vaccinium varingiaefolium (Blume) Miq, EA extract, Cisplatin, BSLT, T47D Introduction Indonesia is a country with a plenty of endemic plants spreading out over the nation. One of plants is Cantigi (a local name) or Vaccinium varingiaefolium (Blume) Miq. belonging to Ericaceae family. This endemic plant has a smiliarity with billberry (V. myrtillus) and blueberry (V. corymbosum) [1] . But, unfortunately, very little studies had been reported. Mount Tangkuban Parahu (MTP), having a peak at 2,081 meters above sea level (masl) is a volcanic mountain located on Java Island, Indonesia. Its location is about 20 km north of Bandung, the provincial capital of West Java or near 6°40′00″ south latitude and 107°37′00″ east longitude. Plants of MTP varies along the altitudinal gradient of the mountain. There are three parts in this area. First, the area between 1,980 and 2,080 masl as Upper Montane Zone. Second, the area between 1,600 and 1,930 masl was as Mid Montane Slope Zone. Third, the site within the Upper Montane Zone (protected forest) and its surroundings – in the Mid Montane Zone was Vaccinium forest (1,900 masl, 06°45′40″ S & 107°37′07″ E) in an area near the crater dominated by Vaccinium varingiaefolium. Cantigi grew well in the area closed to sulphur vents or volcano region, such as MTP [2] . Microscopic and macroscopic studies of Cantigi had been reported. Morphological observation showed that Cantigi had a tap root, circular stem with lenticels on the surface. Cantigi had red young stem with a lot of trichomes, brown old stem, oval leaves with integer margins. Leaves had stone cells, cuticles, idioblasts. Young leaves were red and then turned green (old leaves). The color of flowers were red purple having five sepals, five petals, 10 androecium, and one syncarp gynoecium. Trichomes spread all over flower structures. Its microspore was tetraeder type. The gynoecium sat on the receptacle with a composition of five carpellum with inpherus ovulus. The fruits were changing in color from green, globular, with trichomes to black purple when ripe. It had stone cells with purple cytoplasm and golden brown seeds [1] .