Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Induction Effects of Ethanol Extract of <i>Solanum ferox</i> from West Kalimantan on Various Cancer Cell Lines

Cancer is one of the main challenges in global health, with incidence and mortality rates continuing to rise each year. Although various modern therapies show effectiveness, their excessive side effects highlight the need for safer alternative medications. The S. ferox plant is traditionally used in Kalimantan as a remedy for various conditions, making it interesting to develop as an anticancer agent. This study aims to evaluate the cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis of ethanol extract from S. ferox fruit against several cancer cells. The soxhlet and maceration methods were used to extract bioactive compounds from S. ferox. Cytotoxicity testing using the MTT method showed that the ethanol extract of S. ferox fruit with the soxhlet method has weak cytotoxic activity against WiDr cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 207.12 μg/mL and is non-toxic to T47D, 4T1, MCF-7, HeLa, HepG2, and Vero. Whereas the ethanol extract of S. ferox fruit using the maceration method was non-toxic to all cell lines. Cell cycle and apoptosis analysis showed that the S. ferox fruit extract with soxhlet extraction could not inhibit the cell cycle but could induce apoptosis. Apoptosis testing using a flow cytometer showed that the ethanol extract of S. ferox fruit with soxhlet extraction on WiDr cancer cells resulted in a higher percentage of apoptosis at a concentration of 207.12 µg/mL (IC50) compared to the negative control. These results indicate that S. ferox has the potential to be an anticancer agent through the induction of apoptosis