Centella asiatica (L.) Fraction Increases the Caudal Fin Regeneration of Zebra Fish (Danio rerio) through the Modulation of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) Antioxidant Enzyme

Abstract

Centella asiatica is a herbal plant with established wound-healing properties. This study aimed to assess the asiaticoside content in different fractions of C. asiatica and examine its effects on zebrafish caudal fin regeneration, with an emphasis on the enhancement of the Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) antioxidant enzyme. The C. asiatica leaves were extracted by maceration using 96% ethanol and fractionated with vacuum liquid chromatography using ethyl acetate and 96% ethanol. Reversed-phase HPLC was used to determine the asiaticoside. Zebrafish were divided into 3 groups (n = 20 fish/group): the normal group (caudal fin amputated), ethyl acetate fraction group (caudal fin amputated and given 3.125 ppm of C. asiatica ethyl acetate fraction), and ethanol fraction group (caudal fin amputated and given 3.125 ppm of C. asiatica ethanol fraction). The regeneration of the caudal fin was observed on the seventh day after amputation, and blastema samples were collected for an analysis of the SOD using the colourimetric method. The regeneration was analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance (p< 0.05). Data on the SOD activity were analyzed with Microsoft Excel. The highest percentage of asiaticoside in the ethanol fraction was 22% w/w. The normal, ethyl acetate, and ethanol fraction groups showed an average regeneration percentage of 49.99%, 53.14% and 63.01%, respectively. The SOD enzyme activity in each group was 1,064.13 U/g, 1,383.07 U/g, and 1,818.00 U/g, respectively. The ethanol fraction at a dose of 3.125 ppm significantly enhanced the regeneration of zebrafish caudal fin by increasing the SOD enzyme activity.