Antineuroinflammation activity of n-butanol fraction of Marsilea crenata Presl. in microglia HMC3 cell line

Abstract

Background Neuroinflammation is one of the main causes of neurodegenerative events. Phytoestrogen is a group compounds that have an estrogen-like structure or function. Phytoestrogen has a high potential to overcome neuroinflammation caused by estrogen deficiency in postmenopausal women. Marsilea crenata Presl. is a plant known to contain phytoestrogens. This research aimed to analyze the activity of an n-butanol fraction of M. crenata leaves in inhibiting the classical pathway activation of microglia HMC3 cell line to M1 polarity, which has proinflammatory characteristics. Methods Microglia HMC3 cell line was cultured in Eagle's minimum essential medium and induced with IFN-γ for 24 h to activate the cell to M1 polarity in 24-well microplates. The n-butanol fraction was added with various doses of 62.5, 125, and 250 ppm and genistein 50 μM as a positive control. The expression of major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) as a marker was tested using a confocal laser scanning microscope. Results The result of MHC II measurement shows a significant difference in the MHC II expression in the microglia HMC3 cell line between the negative control and all treatment groups at p<0.05, indicating a non-monotonic dose-response profile. Conclusions The best dosage to inhibit MHC II expression was 250 ppm with the value of 200.983 AU. It is then concluded that n-butanol fraction of M. crenata leaves has antineuroinflammation activity due to its phytoestrogens.

Keywords: Marsilea crenata Presl; MHC II; neuroinflammation; phytoestrogens.