Background and Objective. Dermal fibroblasts are supporting cells that have an essential role in wound healing and new tissue growth. Abrus precatorius (Linn) (AP) is known as the saga plant, containing terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids. This plant is proven to have an anti-inflammatory effect and wound-healing therapy empirically based. The study was to assess the ethanol extract of AP effect on dermal fibroblasts proliferation.

Material and Methods. Dermal fibroblasts were cultured on 96 wells plates in a complete DMEM medium containing 15, 30, 45, 50, 75, and 90 µg/mL of ethanol extract of AP for 48 hours. The cell viability was measured at two-times points (24 and 48 hours) using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and read at 450 nm.

Result. Cell viability decreased significantly in the fibroblast group that received AP ethanol extract at concentrations of 45, 50, 75, and 90 µg/mL compared to the control group without treatment and solvent control at both 24 and 48 hours of observation (p<0.05). Otherwise, the viability of the cell that received the extract at concentrations of 15 and 30 µg/mL was higher than that of the solvent control group (p<0.05) at the two-times point.

Conclusion. The ethanol extract of AP leaves potentially boosted the proliferation of dermal fibroblast cells at low concentrations but less cell viability at higher doses.

Keywords: fibroblast, Abrus precatorius, proliferation, cell viability