The effect of Indonesian honey Tetragonula sp. And Indonesian royal jelly Apis mellifera (Ceiba pentandra) to human preputium cell proliferation in serum-free DMEM

Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is widely used for cell culture media, especially its function as a growth supplement with high growth-promoting factors. An optimal culture medium is needed to increase protein transduction. Unfortunately, FBS reported as media contained protease and contaminated with pathogen microorganisms from an animal host. Fibroblast preputium cell is easy to culture and can be a good model for assessing the medium culture system. In this study, FBS was substituted with honey and royal jelly to find an alternative FBS. This study aimed to determine the effectivity of serum-free DMEM medium with honey from Tetragonula sp. and royal jelly from Apis mellifera (Ceiba pentandra) on the proliferation of fibroblasts preputium cells. The research design used true experimental methods. Samples were taken from healthy people. Fibroblast cells were cultured with various concentrations of honey and royal jelly (0.1%, 1%, 5%). The best result of those various concentrations continued until 9 days with continuous checking in every three days measured with Microtetrazolium (MTT) assay test. Fibroblast cells cultured in Tetragonula sp. honey and royal jelly Apis mellifera (Ceiba pentandra) 0.1% medium had a significant difference, with proliferation higher than 1% (p=0,000) and 5% (p=0,000), but did not exceed proliferation with FBS addition medium. Next, cells in DMEM medium with Tetragonula sp. honey and Apis mellifera royal jelly (Ceiba pentandra) 0.1% on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th (p = 0,000; p = 0,000; p = 0,000) had not similar growth to the standard medium with FBS. However, the growth on the 9th day had a significant difference with the DMEM medium without FBS. High sugar in honey can inhibit fibroblast cell proliferation. The addition of other components as needed to optimize proliferation in honey and royal jelly medium. Isolation of active ingredients in honey and royal jelly can function as an alternative development of an effective and safe substitute for FBS.