Anti-Proliferative Activity of Fragrant Rice MRQ 74 (Mas Wangi) Water Extract Against Colon Cancer Cell Lines (Ht-29)

Fragrant rice MRQ 74 (Mas wangi) is one of the rice by the Malaysia Research and Development Institute (MARDI), which is responsible for developing varieties of high-quality rice that is nutritious, suitable for diabetics due to its low glycemic index and low starch content as well as resistant to pest and disease. Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as colon cancer, is the second most common cancer in the world. This cancer involves many factors, including family history, physical inactivity, high-fat and low-fibre diets, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diabetes and other conditions associated with the large intestine. This study aimed to examine the antiproliferative activity of polished rice extract and unpolished rice extract against colon cancer cell line HT-29 using MTT assay. Morphology observation and fluorescence double staining of treated cells were determined using a light inverted microscope and acridine orange/propidium iodide staining (AO/PI). The results showed that unpolished rice extract has better IC50 values (0.46 ± 0.02) mg/mL compared to polished rice extract (0.50 ± 0.06) mg/mL after 72 hours of treatment and showed statistically significant results. Morphological changes at 24, 48, and 72 hours after treatment, the antiproliferative effect was observed, which resulted in a reduction of cell size, cell density, the presence of fragmentation cells and apoptotic bodies. Therefore, unpolished rice extracts have promising natural plants in future as an anticancer properties in the nutraceutical and food industry. These results can provide new information for further in vitro or in vivo biological studies.