FMIPA Student Examines Neem Leaves for Liver Cancer Therapy

Dr. drh. Ricadonna Raissa, S.Kh., M.Si

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. According to data from the World Health Organization, KHS has a high mortality rate, almost 85%. One of the main reasons for the poor prognosis is that liver cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage.

Cancer therapy consists of various purposes including curative, palliative, supportive and palliative. Herbs in cancer therapy can be a supportive therapy. Azadirachta indica or Neem Leaf is a native plant that grows in Indonesia and Philippines. The difference in the location of the plant growth allows differences in metabolite compounds and their anticancer potential.

Recognizing this, a doctoral student of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Universitas Brawijaya (UB) drh. Ricadonna Raissa, S.Kh., M.Si examined the differences in anticancer properties between the two variants, namely Azadirachta indica from Indonesia and Philippines.

Her research was presented in the dissertation dissemination which was held on Friday (01/07/2022). In her presentation, the woman who is familiarly called Donna said that the ethanol extract from the Indonesian and Philippine variants of Azadirachta indica has the potential as an anti-cancer through the apoptotic line.

“The apoptotic potential of HCC cells or tissues of the two variants was not significantly different,” he said.

Donna hopes that further research can test the anticancer potential of Azadirachta indica variants of Indonesia and Philippines against normal (non-cancerous) liver cells in vitro.

Dr. dr. Ricadonna Raissa, S.Kh., M.Si with the main promoter, Prof. Dr. dr. Aulanni’am, DES, with co-promoters, Anna Safitri, Ph.D and Masruri, Ph.D

Dr. Ricadonna Raissa, S.Kh., M.Si is a student who received the first batch of Master Program Towards Doctoral for Excellent Graduates Program (PMDSU) scholarship recipients from the Department of Chemistry, FMIPA UB.

Under the guidance of the main promoter, Prof. Dr. dr. Aulanni’am, DES, with co-promoters, Anna Safitri, Ph.D and Masruri, Ph.D, Donna has produced more than two publications in Scopus indexed international journals.

Donna started her PMDSU program since 2018, by first studying at the Chemistry Master Program, until 2020. Then she continued to study at Chemistry Doctoral Program UB in 2020-2022. So that a total of S2 and S3 are taken in just four years.

Dissemination of Dona’s dissertation was opened by the Head of UB Chemistry Doctoral Study Program Barlah Rumhayati, Ph.D, who is also the chairman of the session. And attended by the promoter team and the test team consisting of Akhmad Sabarudin, S.Si., M.Sc. Dr.Sc as internal examiner and Hendra Susanto, S.Pd, M.Biomed, Ph.D as external examiner from FMIPA UM. [FMIPA/Humas UB/ Trans. Iir]