Evaluation of Larvicidal Activity of Kaempferia galanga Extracts Against Aedes aegypti Larvae

<b>Background and Objective:</b> The resistance of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> larvae against temephos become an obstacle in controlling the arboviral vector. This condition triggered researchers to investigate the larvicidal activity of phytochemical compounds that are effective, safe, biodegradable and eco-friendly from various medicinal plants. This study evaluated the larvicidal activity of <i>Kaempferia galanga</i> extracts against <i>Ae. aegypti</i> larvae. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Four solvents with different polarities, namely ethanol, ethyl acetate, n-hexane and water were used in the sequential extraction. The final larvicidal bioassay test of the four extract types was designed in five replicates of five concentration ranges, namely 1.0, 8.75, 17.5, 35.0 and 70.0 ppm. A total of 20 3rd instar larvae of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> were contacted with each replicate in a plastic cup. Larval mortality and effective concentration of larvicide were calculated and determined after 24 and 48 hrs of exposure. <b>Results:</b> The average range of larval mortality according to the concentration of larvicide extracts of ethanol, ethyl acetate, n-hexane and water was 40-91, 2-36, 7-83 and 44-86% after 24 hrs and 88-100, 11-84, 12-99 and 77-100% after 48 hrs of exposure. The data yielded LC<sub>50</sub> for 24 and 48 hrs of exposure at 1,563 and 0.061 ppm, 206,739 and 7,623 ppm, 47,579 and 38,063 ppm and 1.33 and 0.300 ppm, respectively. <b>Conclusion:</b> The polar extract of <i>K. galanga</i> showed high effectiveness so it is necessary to design the right formulation for field application, potency stability and active period of this larvicide residue.

Ethyl P-Methoxycinnamate: An Active Anti-Metastasis Agent and Chemosensitizer Targeting NFκB from Kaempferia galanga for Melanoma Cells

The most common type of skin cancer is melanoma. While significant advances in chemotherapy have occurred in a few instances, only marginal progress has been made in treating metastatic melanoma. Natural medicine has traditionally been used to treat various illnesses, including cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify the active compound in Kaempferia galanga, which could be used to treat melanoma as an anti-metastasis and chemosensitizer agent. The active compound in K. galanga was isolated and identified using chromatography and spectroscopy techniques, and given six compounds. Inhibitory activity on NFκB activation and cell viability was determined using reporter assay methods. Among the isolated compounds, ethyl p-methoxycinnamate (EPMC) demonstrated potent NFκB inhibitory activity against melanoma cell B16F10- NFκB Luc2 with an IC50 of 88.7 μM. Further investigation was conducted by evaluating the anti-metastasis effect of EPMC in vitro by using wound-healing assays, invasion tests, and molecular mechanism assays using Western blotting. NFκB has been implicated in tumorigenesis through the PI3K/Akt/NFκB pathway. The results of this study indicated that EPMCs act as inhibitors of p38 and thereby Akt phosphorylation inhibitors at serine 473, inhibiting NFκB-dependent transcription. Further analysis with paclitaxel demonstrated that the combinations could sensitize to apoptosis in response to well-known chemotherapy agents. Additional studies were conducted using the human melanoma cancer cell line SK-Mel 28. Along with the induction of apoptosis, we observed an increase in p-γH2AX expression (a molecular marker for double strand breaks in DNA damage) in response to treatment with paclitaxel and EPMC. The result showed EPMC to be a potential, viable adjuvant for improving the clinical efficacy of anti-metastatic and cancer chemotherapy.