Science and Technology Indonesia
Vol. 11 No. 3 (2026): July

Bioactivity Study of Russelia equisetiformis Ethanol Extract as an MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells Inhibitor with In vitro and In silico Approaches

Rizq Rachmad Ramiizah (Department of Chemistry, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, East Java, 60231, Indonesia)
Dini Attala Hefa Insyira (Department of Chemistry, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, East Java, 60231, Indonesia)
Najwa Salsabila Hakim (Department of Chemistry, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, East Java, 60231, Indonesia)
Muhammad Rafly Aditya Firmansyah (Department of Chemistry, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, East Java, 60231, Indonesia)
Tukiran Tukiran (Department of Chemistry, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, East Java, 60231, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Russelia equisetiformis has been used in traditional medicine, but its molecular mechanisms against breast cancer remain unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic potential of R. equisetiformis ethanol extract and elucidate its molecular interactions through a combined in vitro and in silico approach. Cytotoxicity evaluation using the Resazurin assay demonstrated the extract’s activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells with an IC50 value of 352.60 ± 0.23 ????g/mL. To understand the underlying mechanism, the identified bioactive compounds that passed the druglikeness test were analyzed using molecular docking against the Progesterone Receptor (PDB ID: 2W8Y) and Estrogen Receptor-alpha (PDB ID: 3ERT). Docking analysis revealed that these compounds form binding interactions with target receptors, providing insight into their potential mechanism of action, albeit with lower affinity compared to standard drugs (tamoxifen and anastrozole). Importantly, ADMET prediction using ProTox 3.0 highlighted apigenin, kaempferol, isokaempferide, and kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside as the most promising primary candidates, demonstrating inactivity against hepatotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and cytotoxicity. These findings provide initial scientific evidence for the potential anticancer properties of R. equisetiformis compounds, indicating that all four compounds are safe and viable bioactive candidates for further development as non-toxic therapeutic agents.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JSTI

Publisher

Subject

Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Environmental Science Materials Science & Nanotechnology Physics

Description

An international Peer-review journal in the field of science and technology published by The Indonesian Science and Technology Society. Science and Technology Indonesia is a member of Crossref with DOI prefix number: 10.26554/sti. Science and Technology Indonesia publishes quarterly (January, April, ...