Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br. Leaves Extract is not cytotoxic to Human Dental Pulp Cells
Muhammad Ihsan Rizal, Indhra Cahyanita, Ferry Sandra

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Dentistry,
Trisakti University, Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Introduction
Alstonia scholaris leaves extract (ASE) has been investigated and suggested as a potential remedy for dental caries. However, to our knowledge the cytotoxicity study of ASE on dental pulp has not been reported yet. Therefore, current study was conducted to investigate the cytotoxicity of ASE on human dental pulp cells (hDPCs)

Methods
Alstonia scholaris leaves were collected, maserated and extracted with methanol. Meanwhile, human dental pulps were obtained from freshly extracted partial impacted third molar teeth. Pulps were digested with collagenase type I and collected human dental pulps cells (hDPCs) were cultured. ASE was applied to hDPCs in various concentrations (1000, 200, 50, 10 µg/mL) for 24 and 48 hours. MTT assay was performed to quantify viable hDPCs.

Result
Although high concentration of ASE was applied, high number of viable hDPCs was observed. Interestingly, in comparison with untreated group, low concentration of ASE (10 µg/mL) induced growth of hDPCs, especially after 48 hours treatment (p<0.05=0.019). In general, numbers of viable hDPCs treated with ASE in different concentrations for 24 (p<0.05=0.014) and 48 hours (p<0.05=0.016) were significantly different.

Conclusion
ASE does not induce cytotoxicity in hDPCs. In contrary, low concentration of ASE might induce the growth of hDPCs.

Keywords: Alstonia scholaris, dental caries, maserated and extracted, hDPCs

Topic: Material Science