Administration of Myrmecodia pendans Ethanol Extract Cream Prevented Elevation of Keratinocyte Apoptosis and Number of Macrophages in Male Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus) Exposed to Ultraviolet B (UVB)

Background: Aging is a natural process that is influenced by several factors, one of which is sunlight/ultraviolet (UV). Continuous exposure to UV radiation causes changes in the structure and function of the skin, ranging from sunburn, which is the apoptosis of keratinocyte cells; to increasing the formation of acute inflammatory cells such as macrophages. This study aimed to prove that administration of M. pendans 40% ethanol extract cream prevented elevation of keratinocyte apoptosis and number of macrophages in male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) exposed to Ultraviolet B (UVB). Methods: This study was an animal experimental study using a randomized post - test only control group design. The subjects were rats (Rattus norvegicus), Wistar strain, male, 2 - 3 months old, 180 - 200 grams body weight, and healthy. The number of samples used was 36, divided into 2 groups (n = 18). The control group was exposed to UVB and treated with placebo cream, the treatment group was exposed to UVB and treated with M. pendans 40% ethanol extract cream. After 24 hours of exposure, the rats were anesthetized and a biopsy of the back skin tissue was performed to examine the apoptotic number of keratinocyte cells and the number of macrophage cells using histological methods. Results: The mean apoptotic number of keratinocyte cells in the control group was 25.1 ? 3.81 cells/field of view, while in the treatment group was 15.0 ? 3.10 cells/field of view (p less than0.001). The mean number of macrophage cells in the control group was 3.73 ? 1.14 cells/field of view, while in the treatment group was 2.26 ? 1.09 cells/field of view (p less than0.001). Conclusion: The study presented herein proved that administration of M. pendans 40% ethanol extract cream prevented elevation of keratinocyte apoptosis and number of macrophages in male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) exposed to Ultraviolet B (UVB).