The Characterization of Steam Distillation as an Extraction Method to Extract Volatile Compounds from &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Prunella vulgaris&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; and the Investigation of Their Anti-Tumorous Effect

William Chi Keung Mak,Sean Walsh

doi:10.4236/jbm.2021.98011

Abstract

Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a perennial plant which is widely grown around the world. It has been widely used as a medicinal treatment for generations. Previous studies showed extracts from this plant had a wide range of therapeutic efficacy, including anti-tumorous effect. However, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) extracted from it were rarely explored. This paper reports on the characterization of a steam distillation process to extract VOCs in PV and also the anti-tumorous effects of the PV distillate using the tetrazolium-based Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) as the test agent, when the VOCs were used to treat oral squamous cancer cells, SSC154. It was found that most abundant VOCs came out steadily and continuously for as long as the duration of the steam extraction could extend. However, some compounds such as benzaldehyde did show depletion as the distillation process progressed, while some compounds such as caryophyllene oxide was only sparsely found at the beginning of distillation. The PV distillate was mildly effective in its cytotoxicity to cancer cells SCC154, in a dosage dependent manner.

Highlights

Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a common herbaceous plant, which thrives in moist soil environments [1] [2] [3] [4]
This paper reports on the characterization of a steam distillation process to extract volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in PV and the anti-tumorous effects of the PV distillate using the tetrazolium-based Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) as the test agent, when the VOCs were used to treat oral squamous cancer cells, SSC154
This indicates that the steam distillation process undertaken has limited efficiency to extract VOCs from the PV herb, depending on the experimental setup

Summary

Introduction

Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a common herbaceous plant, which thrives in moist soil environments [1] [2] [3] [4]. Like many plants in the family, PV displays aromatic properties associated with its flowers, leaves and stems. The VOCs are responsible for the fragrant smell It is Holarctic in distribution and is widely cultivated in Asia, extending as far north as Siberia and south into the Indian sub-continent, and across to eastern Europe [5]. In China, the plant is harvested for medicinal purposes in April and May when the spica turns brown-red (and so the Chinese name Xia Ku Cao 夏枯草, which can be translated to “Wither in summer weed”). The spikes, including the stems and seeds, comprise the “herb” component used in Chinese medicine. After harvest, unwanted impurities and dirt are removed, and the herb dried in the sun before packaging

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