Investigating the Potential Synergistic Effects of Turmeric Extract and Black Rice Bran as Cytotoxic Agents Against HeLa Cells

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effect of extract combinations from turmeric and black rice bran extract as anticancer agents on HeLa cells. Methods: Turmeric and black rice bran extracts were obtained by maceration with 96% ethanol. To determine the IC50 and combination index values, the cytotoxic assay of the extracts on HeLa cells was evaluated using the MTT assay, individually or in combination. The LC-HRMS analysis was employed to profile each extract. Result: Turmeric and black rice bran extracts yielded 23.29% and 7.57%, respectively, and LC-HRMS revealed that turmeric extract has the most ar-turmerone at 10.4%. In contrast, black rice bran extract contains many fatty acid derivative compounds. The MTT assay showed that turmeric extract had an IC50 value of 54 µg/mL against HeLa cells, while black rice bran extract had an IC50 value of 446 µg/mL. Combining ½ IC50 of turmeric extract and ½ IC50 of black rice bran extract has a synergistic effect, resulting in a lower viable cell population of 43.04% compared to the individual treatment of turmeric and black rice bran extract, which resulted in 96.92% and 79.30%, respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that a combination of turmeric and black rice bran exhibits greater cytotoxic activity than the individual extracts, promising an alternative anticancer treatment, particularly for cervical cancer.