Aqueous-Methanol Extract of Gracilaria verrucosa Induces Cytochrome c Release From Mitochondria

Seaweeds is one of many sources of natural bioactive compounds that can be utilized in the fields of pharmaceuticals and health. However, research on utilization of the seaweed's bioactive compounds from Indonesia is still very limited. Therefore, the objective of this research is to study the ability to induce apoptosis of the extracts of Gracilaria verrucosa harvested from Sayang Heulang, a beach in Pameungpeuk, Garut, West Java. The study begins with bioactive compounds extraction using chloroform p.a, methanol p.a and 50 mM phosphate buffer pH 7.6 with a ratio 2:1:0.8, resulting crude aqueous-methanol and chloroform extracts. G. verrucosa produced 62.73% (w/w) crude aqueous-methanol extract and 1.07% (w/w) chloroform extract. Mitochondria for apoptosis test were isolated from rat liver. The treatment of 10% v/v crude aqueous-methanol extract from G. verrucosa for five hours at 37 oC toward mitochondrial suspension leads to formation of mitochondrial aggregates and study of the released of cytochrome c showed that those treatment released 8.7 μM cytochrome c which has equal to 11.4% of mitoxantrone 500 μM activity. In conclusion, our results indicate that aqueous-methanol extract of G. verrucosa able to induce apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway involving cytochrome c release from mitochondria.