Effect of Akar Kucing (Acalypha indica Linn) and Pegagan (Centella asiatica) Combination Towards Malondialdehyde Level in Heart of Hypoxic Rat

In recent study of antioxidant effect of Acalypha indica Linn (AI) and Centella asiatica (CA) were increased due to development of various diseases accompanied by their complications, which caused by ROS (Reactive Oxidative Stress) formation. Active contents of both plants had been already verified by several researches, having scavenging effect toward free radicals. Although Faculty of Medicine of Universitas Indonesia had conducted researched about this combination limited in liver, kidney and brain, this research aimed to seek the efficacy of both plants to suppress oxidative stress in heart tissue. This study used experimental in vivo method. Combination of AI and CA were administered to Sprague dawley rats with dose of 200 mg/kgBW and 150 mg/kgBW respectively for 3, 7 and 14 days in hypoxia condition. Then the effect of both plants were compared to placebo (aquades) and Piracetam at 50 mg/kgBW dose. The result showed that combination of AI and CA have antioxidant effect after 7 days administration, which showed the suppression of oxidative stress through MDA level. Therefore, the usage duration of the combination of AI and CA determined the efficacy of antioxidant in the heart tissue and longtime usage duration might possibly replace the use of piracetam as antioxidant.