Publication date: Jul 28, 2025
Paronema canescens Jack. , commonly known as sungkai, is a medicinal plant native to Southeast Asia, particularly abundant in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo, Indonesia. Traditionally, sungkai has been used to treat various ailments, likely due to its rich content of bioactive secondary metabolites. This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and evaluate the immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory potential of compounds from sungkai leaves based on in silico and in vivo analyses. Apigenin was isolated from Paronema canescens leaves via ethanol extraction, liquid-liquid partitioning, and chromatographic purification, then characterized by UV-Vis, FT-IR, and NMR spectroscopy. Molecular docking was conducted using MOE software to assess apigenin’s binding to granzyme B, perforin, and IFN-γ, with levamisole as a reference. In vivo, 25 male mice were randomized into five groups and administered apigenin (1, 25, or 50 mg/kg BW) intramuscularly for seven days, alongside COVID-19 vaccination. Granzyme B and IFN-γ serum levels were quantified using ELISA. Statistical analysis employed one-way ANOVA with Duncan’s test ( p
