Abstract

Bioactive Potential and In Silico Insights of Flavonoid-Enriched Femivine V Jelly and Kaempferia Angustifolia Extracts in Antioxidant and Anticancer Applications

Farah Nadiah Mohd Fazil¹, Saiful Irwan Zubairi^1*, Zalifah Mohd Kasim¹, Roslee Rajikan², Isa Naina Mohamed³, Ikhwan Zakaria⁵ and Mohd Faizal Sa’aidin⁴

¹Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

²Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur.

³Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia.

⁴UNIPEQ, Block A, UKM-MTDC Technology Centre, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.

⁵Pusat PERMATA@Pintar Negara, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

Corresponding Author E-mail: saiful-z@ukm.edu.my

Abstract:

Kaempferia angustifolia, a notable medicinal herb within the ginger family, comprises around 60 species of rhizomatous plants. Commonly referred to as temu kunci, kunci pepet, or Thao Nhang Haeng in Southeast Asia, it is renowned for its aromatic rhizomes, traditionally utilized to address ailments like colds, digestive issues, and fevers. Recent research underscores its potential in cancer chemoprevention, alongside antioxidants, antimicrobial, anti-obesity, and anti-allergic properties. This study focuses on four key flavonoids found in the innovative FemiVine V jelly product and the raw extract of the Kaempferia angustifolia plant. The jelly exhibited a 60% higher total phenolic content (31.93 ± 0.20 mg/g) compared to the raw extract (12.0 ± 0.23 mg/g, p<0.05). Antioxidant assays revealed superior DPPH radical scavenging activity in the jelly (67.6 ± 0.15%) versus the extract (30.54 ± 0.10%, p<0.05), supported by FRAP values of 5.08 ± 0.01 mg/100 g (jelly) and 4.81 ± 0.05 mg/100 ml (extract). Cytotoxic screening against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells showed stronger activity in the raw extract (IC₅₀: 82 ± 0.06 mg/ml) compared to the jelly (IC₅₀: 125 ± 0.20 mg/ml, p<0.05). In-silico analysis highlighted vitexin and β-sitosterol as promising candidates for peripheral cancer treatment due to favorable pharmacokinetic properties, including gastrointestinal absorption and lack of brain penetration. Further research is needed to assess their selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells versus normal fibroblasts.