Antiaging effects of Acalypha indica L. extract administration on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) protein level in major organs of aged Sprague-Dawley rats

Non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases or kidney dysfunctions, tend to have expensive and unavailable treatments. This fact, coupled with the rising trend of such diseases, means that priority should be given towards preventive measures. One such measure is the administration of antioxidants to counter the increasing inflammatory markers, such as TNF-α, in the pathogenesis of chronic non-communicable diseases. However, the usage of synthetic antioxidants chronically may incur side effects and expensive. Indonesia is home to diverse sorts of vegetations as an agricultural power, such as Acalypha indica L. (AI). AI has been used empirically by cultures across the globe and is found to have antioxidant properties. This study was conducted on aged Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were divided into four groups, the negative control (placebo), positive control using 6 IU vitamin E, treatment group using 250 mg/kg of body weight (mg/kg BW) AI extract, and control using young rats. The rats were then terminated after 28 days, and the major organs, kidneys, and hearts were examined using ELISA to look for TNF-α concentration. Data collected were analyzed using Saphiro-Wilk test and one-way ANOVA. AI administration yielded a decrease of TNF-α in both the kidneys (0.95 ± 0.76 pg/mg in the treatment group vs. 1.37 ± 0.41 pg/mg in the negative control) and hearts (15.43 pg/mg ± 2.33 in the treatment group vs. 16.50 ± 1.33 pg/mg in the negative control), of aged SD rats, albeit insignificantly. A relatively short time of treatment in this study could be attributed to the insignificant decrease in kidney and cardiac tissue. Nevertheless, this finding of decreased TNF-α suggests a potential anti-inflammatory and antiaging effect of AI. Further research suggestions on the investigation of AI are using longer time of treatment and other test subjects.