The palm oil-based chlorophyll removal and the evaluation of antiaging properties on Centella asiatica ethanolic extract

Abstract

Centella asiatica is an essential medicinal herb in numerous traditions. The high chlorophyll concentration of C. asiatica makes dosage form formulation challenging. On the other hand, palm oil is feasible to eliminate the chlorophyll from plant-based products. This research aim to analysis the phytochemical profile and in vitro anti-aging effects on chlorophyll removal of C. asiatica extract. The extract was soxhletated in 70% ethanol. The extract was partitioned with 50% ethanol and palm oil to create a dechlorophyllation extract. Asiaticoside was analyzed using TLC-densitometry. The cytoprotective effect of H2O2-induced oxidative stress in Vero cells was assessed using MTT assays. Flow cytometer analysis was used for quantifying the intracellular ROS. The senescence-associated-β-galactosidase assay was used to identify senescent cells. The efficiency of chlorophyll removal by palm oil was 90.94±0.62%. The dechlorophyllation extract (DE) showed a concentration of 1.58±0.02% for asiaticoside, but it was not found in the original extract (OE). DE significantly reduced H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in Vero cells compared to OE. Both DE and OE reduced intracellular ROS and senescent cells. Palm oil-based chlorophyll removal improved the phytochemical content and anti-aging effects of C. asiatica in ethanolic extract.