Cytotoxic Activity Of Essential Oil Research Articles

GC-MS analysis of chemical composition, cytotoxicity and antioxidant activities of essential oils of Senecio glaucus under drastic conditions

This study was designed to analyze essential oils by GC-MS and to evaluate the chemical composition, cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of aerial part of plant Seniso glaucus using two methods hydro distillation and organic solvent extraction. The essential oil was analyzed by GC-MS revealed the presence of 32 compounds most of them are sesquiterpene, the main component of essential oil were, Isolongifolene, 9-one (14.4%) Longiverbenone (13.5%), (+) 4-Carene (8.39 %), O-cymene, 4.64%, and thujone were 3.54%. Cytotoxic activity of essential oil was tested against four carcinoma cell lines (A549, McF7, HepG, and HCT-16) by using (3- (4, 5- dimethyl thiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT), the results indicate promising cytotoxic activity at the concentration (100, and50μg/ml) essential oil exhibit high cytotoxic activities against Hepg2 cell lines (83. 33 and 59.14 %) and good cytotoxicity against A549, McF-7 and HCT116 cell lines by (62.1 %, 74.40 %, and 76.60%respectively). The essential oil showed antioxidant activity with IC50 = 69.59±0.24μg/ml, using 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay the present study concluded the importance of plant Seniso glaucus as a natural antioxidant.

Chemical composition, antimicrobial, and antioxidant cytotoxic activities of essential oil from Actinidia arguta

Chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties of Actinidia arguta essential oil (AEO) were evaluated. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified 56 chemical compounds, with the most abundant being Squalene (23.08%), γ-sitrostorol (8.10%), and β-Tocopherol (7.01%). Whereas the AEO had significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it showed mild efficacy against Bacillus subtilis and Microsporum canis. On the contrary, the Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were not susceptible to the AEO pressure. On the other hand, the AEO exhibited strong antioxidant activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), β-carotene, and hydroxyl radicals, with IC50 values of 117.60, 73.60, and 35.15μg/mL, respectively. Additionally, compared to the PC-3 or HT-29 cell lines, the A549 cells were more susceptible to the AEO (IC50; 6.067mg/mL). Besides, the confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging showed that 16mg/mL of the AEO-induced apoptosis in the A549 cell lines. Our data indicated that the AEO might be useful in the food and pharmaceutical industry. Preparation of Actinidia arguta essential oil (a) and schematic overview of the experiment (b).

In Vitro Pharmacological Screening of Essential Oils from Baccharis parvidentata and Lippia origanoides Growing in Brazil.

In this study, the in vitro antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities of essential oil from Baccharis parvidentata Malag. (EO-Bp) and Lippia origanoides Kunth (EO-Lo) were explored. The relevant effects were observed against the parasitic protozoans Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania amazonensis (ranging 0.6 to 39.7 µg/mL) and malignant MCF-7, MCF-7/HT, 22Rv1, and A431 cell lines (ranging 6.1 to 31.5 µg/mL). In parallel, EO-Bp showed better selective indexes in comparison with EO-Lo against peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice and MRC-5 cell line. In conclusion, EO-Lo is known to show a wide range of health benefits that could be added as another potential use of this oil with the current study. In the case of EO-Bp, the wide spectrum of its activities against protozoal parasites and malignant cells, as well as its selectivity in comparison with non-malignant cells, could suggest an interesting candidate for further tests as a new therapeutic alternative.

The Importance of Monoterpenes in the Antibacterial Activity of Osteophloeum platyspermum Essential Oils

Aims: To evaluate antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of essential oils (EO’s) obtained from Osteophloeum platyspermum (ucuuba-chico-de-assis; Myristicaceae) fresh leaves against Staphylococcus aureus, MCF-7 breast, and PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines.
 Study Design: Thirteen EO's were submitted to antibacterial and cytotoxicity assays that included 18 compounds commonly present in the EO's. The relationship between the EO's biological activities and the dry (DS) or rainy (RS) seasonal variation was accessed using the relative percentage of the terpenes.
 Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted at the Center for Research in Biodiversity (Microbiology Laboratory and Cell Culture Laboratory), Paulista University. Biological activity assessment was conducted between October/2016 and November 2019).
 Methodology: Thirteen essential oils were obtained from the leaves of O. platyspermum and were previously chemically characterized. From the analyses, 18 terpenes were determined to commonly occur in the 13 EO's. Microdilution broth and cytotoxicity assays were performed to obtain minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) and 50% (EC50) effective concentrations for the cytotoxicity assays. Data from the 18 terpenes were submitted to two-way ANOVA, cluster (CA), principal component (PCA), canonical correspondence analyses (CCA), and one-sample t-test. The relationship between the biological activities of EO's and seasonal variability (dry season, DS, or rainy season, RS) was assessed. One sample t-test was performed to verify the potency of the cytotoxic effects of EO’s.
 Results: Previously, 18 terpenes were identified in all the 13 EO’s. From those, α-terpineol, limonene, myrcene, linalool, and terpinen-4-ol were relevant to the ordination of the DS EO set, while spathulenol, α-pinene, β-pinene, isospathulenol, α-cadinene, ledol, cubenol-1-epi, neo-intermedeol, elemol, β-elemene, γ-elemene and viridiflorol were relevant to the ordination of the RS EO set. The biological activities were more related to the EO’s collected in the RS than those in the DS. Also, biological activities were shown to be related to the occurrence of limonene, myrcene, elemol, β-pinene, α-pinene, and terpinen-4-ol.
 Conclusions: Although the presence of the 18 terpenes is necessary to maintain the species adaptability to the environment, the occurrence of limonene, myrcene, elemol, β-pinene, α-pinene, and terpinen-4-ol had a significant role in the effective expression of the biological activity of EO’s from O. platyspermum, particularly those that occur during the rainy season, in the Amazon rain forest.

Leishmanicidal and cytotoxic activity of essential oil from the fruit peel of Myrciaria floribunda (H. West ex Willd.) O. Berg: Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations of its major constituent onto Leishmania enzyme targets

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected disease characterized by highest morbidity rates worldwide. The available treatment for CL has several limitations including serious side effects and resistance to the treatment. Herein we aimed to evaluate the activity of essential oil from the peel of Myrciaria floribunda fruits (MfEO) on Leishmania amazonensis. The cytotoxic potential of MfEO on host mammalian cells was evaluated by MTT. The in vitro leishmanicidal effects of MfEO were investigated on the promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms. The ultrastructural changes induced by MfEO were evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The molecular docking of the major compounds δ-Cadinene, γ-Cadinene, γ-Muurolene, α-Selinene, α-Muurolene and (E)–Caryophyllene onto the enzymes trypanothione reductase (TreR) and sterol 14-alpha demethylase (C14DM) were performed. Our results showed that MfEO presented moderate cytotoxicity for Vero cells and macrophages. The MfEO inhibited the growth of promastigote and the survival of intracellular amastigotes, in a dose- and time- dependent way. The MfEO presented high selectivity towards amastigote forms, being 44.1 times more toxic for this form than to macrophages. Molecular docking analysis showed that the major compounds of MfEO interact with Leishmania enzymes and that δ-Cadinene (δ-CAD) presented favorable affinity energy values over TreR and C14DM enzymes, when compared with the other major constituents. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies revealed a stable binding of δ-CAD with lowest binding free energy values in MMGBSA assay. Our results suggested that δ-CAD may be a potent inhibitor of TreR and C14DM enzymes. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Headspace/GC-MS Analysis and Investigation of Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activity of Essential Oils and Hydrolates from Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Lavandula angustifolia Miller.

In this work, essential oils (EOs) and hydrolates (Hys) of Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Lavandula angustifolia Mill., grown in Tuscany (Italy), were studied to describe their chemical composition and biological activities. The aromatic profile of the EOs liquid phase was carried out by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), while the volatile composition of vapor phase EOs and Hys was performed by headspace (HS)/GC–MS. The obtained results show that monoterpene hydrocarbons (71.5% and 89.5%) were the main compounds, followed by oxygenated monoterpenes (26.0% and 10.5%) in the liquid and vapor phase of R. officinalis EO, respectively. The oxygenated monoterpenes were the main components of L. angustifolia EO, reaching 86.9% in the liquid phase and 53.7% in the vapor phase. Regarding Hys, they consisted only of oxygenated monoterpenes, and 1,8-cineole (56.2%) and linalool (42.9%), were the main components of R. officinalis and L. officinalis Hys, respectively. Their cytotoxicity was investigated on an SHSY5Y neuroblastoma cell line by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test, showing a notable effect of the EOs with a time-independent manner of activity and half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values quite similar for the two plant species (from 0.05% to 0.06% v/v for the three time points evaluated). A measurable activity of Hys was also obtained although with higher EC50 values. The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC® 25922, Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC® 13525, Acinetobacter bohemicus DSM 102855 as Gram-negative bacteria and Kocuria marina DSM 16420, Bacillus cereus ATCC® 10876 as Gram-positive bacteria, was evaluated by the agar disk-diffusion method and the VPT (vapor phase test) to determinate the MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) and the MBC (minimal bactericidal concentration) values. Both EOs possessed a high activity against all the bacterial strains with MIC values ranging from 0.19% to 3.13% v/v. Unlike EOs, Hys did not show an inhibition of the bacterial growth at the tested concentrations. Furthermore, antioxidant power was measured by 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt-based (ABTS•+) and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays, showing a remarkable ability to reduce radicals by both EOs; Hys were slightly less active. The findings highlighted that R. officinalis and L. angustifolia EOs and Hys have a chemical composition rich in bioactive molecules, which can exert different biological activities.

Chemical Composition and Cytotoxic Activity of the Essential Oil and Oleoresins of In Vitro Micropropagated Ansellia africana Lindl: A Vulnerable Medicinal Orchid of Africa.

Orchids are rich treasure troves of various important phytomolecules. Among the various medicinal orchids, Ansellia africana stands out prominently in the preparing of various herbal medicines due to its high therapeutic importance. The nodal explants of A. africana were sampled from asymbiotically germinated seedlings on basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and were micropropagated in MS medium supplemented with 3% sucrose and 10 µM meta topolin (mT) + 5 µM naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) +15 µM indole butyric acid (IBA) + 30 µM phloroglucinol (PG). In the present study, the essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation and the oleoresins by the solvent extraction method from the micropropagated A. africana. The essential oil and the oleoresins were analysed by Gas Chromatography (GC) and GC/MS (Mass spectrometry). A total of 84 compounds were identified. The most predominant components among them were linoleic acid (18.42%), l-ascorbyl 2,6-dipalmitate (11.50%), linolenic acid (10.98%) and p-cresol (9.99%) in the essential oil; and eicosane (26.34%), n-butyl acetate (21.13%), heptadecane (16.48%) and 2-pentanone, 4-hydroxy-4-methyl (11.13%) were detected in the acetone extract; heptadecane (9.40%), heneicosane (9.45%), eicosane (6.40%), n-butyl acetate (14.34%) and styrene (22.20%) were identified and quantified in the ethyl acetate extract. The cytotoxic activity of essential oil and oleoresins of micropropagated A. africana was evaluated by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay on Vero cells compared to the standard drug doxorubicin chloride. The present research contains primary information about the therapeutic utility of the essential oil and oleoresins of A. africana with a promising future research potential of qualitative and quantitative improvement through synchronised use of biotechnological techniques.

In-vitro Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activities of Essential Oil extracted from Flowers of Illicium verum L.

Illicium verum is a small native evergreen tree of northeast Vietnam, India and southwest China. It is the flower of a medium-sized tree and is also known as star anise belongs to the family of Schisandraceae that grows in North America, Atlantic region, and tropical and subtropical zones of Asia. This study investigated the in vitro cytotoxic effects of essential oil obtained from the flowers of Illicium verum is also known as star anise. Steam distillation method was used to extract oil from the flowers of Illicium verum. Antioxidant activities such as DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), and ferric reducing power assays were assessed followed by total phenolic contents was estimated by folin-ciocalteau reagent method. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used to find out volatile and semi-volatile compounds of essential oil extracted from Illicium verum. Anti-proliferative effect was studied by MTT assay method using MCF 7 and HepG 2 cancer cell lines. The maximum HepG 2 cell death was 25.73 ±0.24 % at 100µg/mL concentration and the IC50 was 194.32±0.24% at 100µg/mL concentration. The maximum MCF 7 cell death was 32.64±0.32% at 100µg/mL concentration and the IC50 was 153.18 ± 0.32% at 100µg/mL concentration.

Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Myrtaceae Essential Oils Rich in Terpenoids From Brazil

This work analyzed the chemical compositions and evaluated the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of essential oils (EO) of Eugenia patrisii (Epat), Eugenia stipitata (Esti), Myrcia splendens (Mspl), Myrcia sylvatica (Msyl), Psidium guajava (Pgua), and Psidium guineense (Pgui-1 and Pgui-2) from the Brazilian Amazon. Sesquiterpenoids were found in high concentrations in the oils of E. patrisii and M. splendens, which were rich in E-caryophyllene (32.0% and 45.8%); E. stipitata and M. sylvatica, which displayed germacrene D (11.8%) and germacrene B (24.5%); and P. guajava that showed epi-β-bisabolol (16.1%) as the main compound. However, P. guineense samples (Pgui-1 and Pgui-2) were rich in monoterpenoids such as limonene (Pgui-1: 30.2%; Pgui-2 30.4%) and α-pinene (Pgui-1: 22.5%; Pgui-2: 17.7%). The samples showed a weak and moderate antioxidant activities in the DPPH assay, displaying inhibition rates from 11.5% to 38.6% (at 10 mg/mL). All samples were cytotoxic against human cancer cells by the MTT method. Epat oil showed higher activity against melanoma (SKMEL-19, IC505.8 µg/mL), gastric (AGP01, IC503.2 µg/mL), and colon (HCT116, IC506.7 µg/mL). Meanwhile, the samples Pgua and Pgui were more active against breast cancer cells (MCF7, IC5012.4 µg/mL and 11.6 µg/mL, respectively).

In Vitro Modulation of P-Glycoprotein Activity by Euphorbia intisy Essential Oil on Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Line HL-60R.

Euphorbia species have a large spectrum of traditional medicinal uses. We tested the biological activities of the essential oil (EO) of Euphorbia intisy Drake in an acquired multidrug resistance leukemia model to assess whether the EO obtained by hydrodistillation of stems was able to reverse the resistant phenotype. HL-60R cell lines are characterized by the overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) and constitutive expression of NF-κB. EO chemical composition was determined by GC/MS analysis; cytotoxic activity of EO by MTS assay alone or in combination with doxorubicin; pro-apoptotic effect and doxorubicin accumulation were analyzed by flow cytometry; P-gp ATPase activity was measured by P-gp-Glo™ assay systems kit. The ability to inhibit NF-κB and its target genes was also assessed. E. intisy EO exhibited a comparable cytotoxic effect and ability to block P-gp in both the HL-60 and its MDR variant HL-60R. In addition, EO suppressed P-gp protein expression and significantly downregulated MDR1 mRNA level, as well as some IAPs proteins, probably through the inhibition of NF-κB. Our results suggest that E. intisy EO could reverse P-gp-mediated drug resistance in tumor cells acting as a chemosensitizing agent.

Chemical Composition, Cytotoxic and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oil from Aerial Parts of Salvia tebesana Bunge.

In the present study, chemical composition, antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of the essential oil (EO) from aerial parts of Salvia tebesana were investigated. Fifty-five compounds representing 99.7 % of the total oil composition were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The EO was predominated by oxygenated sesquiterpenes and the main constituents were E-nerolidol, α-eudesmol, trans-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, α-pinene, α-epi-cadinol, δ-cadinene, and β-eudesmol, respectively. The cytotoxic effect of the EO on human breast adenocarcinoma, prostate, and melanoma cancer cell lines were examined using AlamarBlue® assay. The EO indicated significant cytotoxic activity against the tested cell lines particularly PC-3. Moreover, the antibacterial evaluation of EO against four bacterial strains indicated a potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria particularly Staphylococcus aureus (minimum inhibitory concentration: 1.4 μg/mL).

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit. Essential Oil on Prostate and Cervical Cancers Cells.

Hyptis suaveolens is an aromatic plant used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso for management of various diseases including wounds and inflammatory diseases. Thus, the objective of this work was to characterize the chemical composition, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of Essential Oil (EO) of H. suaveolens from Burkina Faso on cultured cancer cells. The chemical composition of EO was determined by GC/FID and GC/MS analysis and the antioxidant activity was evaluated through inhibition of DPPH radicals and ABTS +• radical cations. The cytotoxic activity in prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) and cervical cancer cells (HeLa) of EO was evaluated by MTT assay and effect on cells cycle by flow cytometry analysis. A total of 58 compounds were identified in the EO of H. suaveolens of which the major compounds identified are Sabinene 14.03%, β-Pinene 5.92%, Limonene 4.40%, Eucalyptol 12.78%, Trans-Oxide of Linalol 5.43%, β-Caryophyllene 11.27%, Germacrene-D 3.04% and Bicyclogermacrene 8.08%. The EO of H. suaveolens showed antioxidant activity and concentration dependent antiproliferative activities with G0/G1 arrest on LNCaP and HeLa cells. This work help to justify some uses of H. suaveolens in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso and also, presents a promising new application for the essential oil of H. suaveolens in prostate and cervical cancer research.

Cytotoxic Activity of Essential Oils of Ocimum Sanctum Green and Purple on Hela Cell Lines

Cytotoxic Activity of Essential Oils of Ocimum Sanctum Green and Purple on Hela Cell Lines

Chemical Composition of Essential Oil of Garcinia gummi-gutta and Its Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities

Garcinia gummi-gutta L. or better known as Malabar tamarind, belongs to the family of Clusiaceae. The plant is widely used for folk medicine and food preparation. The present study aimed to examine the chemical composition, anti-microbial, and cytotoxic activities of essential oil extracted from the leaf of G. gummi-gutta (EOG). EOG obtained was analyzed using chromatography techniques and its antimicrobial activity and cytotoxic potential were assessed. A total of nineteen constituents were identified with both β- caryophyllene (53.82 %) and (E)-β-farnesene (22.62 %) predominated in the EOG. In the antimicrobial assay, the EOG exhibited a substantial effect on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with MIC of 0.156 μg/mL. On the other hand, in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that the EOG exhibited a notable cytotoxic effect against human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF- 7/TAM(R) cells. It is worth to point out that the EOG had a high cytotoxic selectivity toward MDA-MB-231 (4.38) and MCF-7/TAM(R) (4.0) cancer cells, which indicates its potential as therapeutic agents.

Chemical Composition, Antiviral and Cytotoxic Activities of Essential Oil from Cyperus rotundus Growing in Egypt: Evidence from Chemometrics Analysis

The essential oil of Egyptian Cyperus rotundus rhizomes was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/MS. The oil is composed mainly of oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Thirty-seven compounds were identified including, humulene epoxide (38.43 %) and caryophyllene oxide (21.03 %) as major components. Correlations between different C. rotundus essential oils from Egypt and other regions were studied based on its chemical composition through principal components analysis and agglomerative hierarchical clustering. The oil was tested for its antiviral activity against hepatitis A, herpes simplex type 1, and coxsackie viruses at non-cytotoxic concentration. The oil was also evaluated for its cytotoxicity on hepatic, breast, and prostate carcinomas. It showed a very weak activity against tested viruses with percent protection 7.98, 14.21 and 8.79 %, respectively at a maximum non-toxic concentration of 125 μg/mL and it exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against hepatic and breast cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 204.1±1.25 and 170.8±0.567 μg/mL, respectively. The oil did not exhibit any cytotoxicity against the prostate cancer cell line.

Essential oil composition and cytotoxic activity in two species of the plant genus Vismia (Hypericaceae) from the Venezuelan Andes

Abstract. Introduction: The Vismia genus belongs to the Hypericaceae family and comprises around 57 species of which 17 have been located in Venezuela. Previous investigations have been carried out in extracts as well as pure isolated compounds, revealing antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-HIV, among other, biological activities. Objective: This investigation aims to determine the cytotoxic activity of essential oils from leaves of Vismia baccifera Triana & Planch (VBJ and VBV) and Vismia macrophylla Kunth (VM) collected in three different locations of the Venezuelan Andean region. Methods: Essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and their cytotoxic activity was analyzed following the MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. Human tumor cell lines from SKBr3, MCF-7 and PANC-1, two breast carcinomas and one pancreatic adenocarcinoma of ductal type, were tested with the oil samples and human dermis fibroblasts were used as non-tumor cells. Results: β-caryophyllene and trans-caryophyllene were present as major components in VBJ and VBV, respectively, while γ-bisabolene was the main component in the VM sample. Anticancer activity was observed on V. baccifera essential oil against SKBr3, MCF-7 and PANC-1. The selectivity index showed that VBV is highly selective against the SKBr3 cell line and has no activity against non-tumor cells. Conclusions: These results are considered a contribution to natural products research and may provide supportive data for future studies on cancer.

Cyperus articulatus L. (Cyperaceae) Rhizome Essential Oil Causes Cell Cycle Arrest in the G2/M Phase and Cell Death in HepG2 Cells and Inhibits the Development of Tumors in a Xenograft Model.

Cyperus articulatus L. (Cyperaceae), popularly known in Brazil as “priprioca” or “piriprioca”, is a tropical and subtropical plant used in popular medical practices to treat many diseases, including cancer. In this study, C. articulatus rhizome essential oil (EO), collected from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, was addressed in relation to its chemical composition, induction of cell death in vitro and inhibition of tumor development in vivo, using human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells as a cell model. EO was obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus and characterized qualitatively and quantitatively by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID), respectively. The cytotoxic activity of EO was examined against five cancer cell lines (HepG2, HCT116, MCF-7, HL-60 and B16-F10) and one non-cancerous one (MRC-5) using the Alamar blue assay. Cell cycle distribution and cell death were investigated using flow cytometry in HepG2 cells treated with EO after 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation. The cells were also stained with May–Grunwald–Giemsa to analyze the morphological changes. The anti-liver-cancer activity of EO in vivo was evaluated in C.B-17 severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice with HepG2 cell xenografts. The main representative substances of this EO sample were muskatone (11.6%), cyclocolorenone (10.3%), α-pinene (8.26%), pogostol (6.36%), α-copaene (4.83%) and caryophyllene oxide (4.82%). EO showed IC50 values for cancer cell lines ranging from 28.5 µg/mL for HepG2 to >50 µg/mL for HCT116, and an IC50 value for non-cancerous of 46.0 µg/mL (MRC-5), showing selectivity indices below 2-fold for all cancer cells tested. HepG2 cells treated with EO showed cell cycle arrest at G2/M along with internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. The morphological alterations included cell shrinkage and chromatin condensation. Treatment with EO also increased the percentage of apoptotic-like cells. The in vivo tumor mass inhibition rates of EO were 46.5–50.0%. The results obtained indicate the anti-liver-cancer potential of C. articulatus rhizome EO.

Chemical composition, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of essential oils from Schinus polygamus (Cav.) cabrera leaf and bark grown in Egypt

Schinus polygamus (Anacardiaceae) is a shrub cultivated in Egypt for ornamental purpose. The major components of bark oil were dl-limonene (29.74%), followed by myrtenal (14.02%) and caryophyllene oxide (11.34%), while E-caryophyllene (55.86%), dl-limonene (27.71%) and β-pinene (3.54%) were predominant in the leaf oil. These isolated oils were screened for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 33591, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, Candida albicans MTCC183 and Aspergillus niger NRRL 595, and two clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. The leaf oil showed a remarkable inhibitory effect against all tested bacterial strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of 25 to 300 µg/mL, while the bark oil was active against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145 only. Furthermore, the bark and leaf oils revealed potent cytotoxic effects on HepG2 and Caco-2 cells with IC50 values of 1.56 to 24.12 µg/mL.

Extraction, chemical compositions, and cytotoxic activities of essential oils of Thevetia peruviana

In this study, The essential oil of flowers, fruits, and leaves of Thevetia peruviana, which were collected in Vietnam, were being reported for the first time. The essential oil of flowers was extracted by different methods: n-hexane extraction, distillation water, and supercritical CO2 extraction. The compositions of essential oil of different parts of Thevetia peruviana were analyzed by GC-FID and GC/MS systems. Major chemical compositions of essential oil were identified as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, terpenoids, and sterol. The activities of total essential oil extracts of the Thevetia peruviana exhibit inhibitory activities against five cancer cell lines.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Anti-Tyrosinase, Anti-Cholinesterase and Cytotoxic Activities of Essential Oils of Six Algerian Plants.

In this study, the essential oils (EOs) of six Algerian plants (Artemisia campestris L., Artemisia herba-alba Asso, Juniperus phoenicea L., Juniperus oxycedrus L., Mentha pulegium L. and Lavandula officinalis Chaix) were obtained by hydrodistillation, and their compositions determined by GC-MS and GC-FID. The antioxidant activity of the EOS was evaluated via 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) assays. Moreover, their cytotoxic effect was evaluated—as well as their tyrosinase, acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase (AChE and BuChE) inhibitory activities. The chemical analyses detected 44, 45, 51, 53, 26 and 40 compounds in EOs of A. campestris, A. herba-alba, J. phoenicea, J. oxycedrus, M. pulegium and L. officinalis, respectively. A. campestris EO was mainly composed of β-pinene (20.7%), while A. herba-alba EO contained davanone D (49.5%) as the main component. α-Pinene (41.8%) was detected as the major constituent in both J. phoenicea (41.8%) and J. oxycedrus (37.8%) EOs. M. pulegium EO was characterized by pulegone as the most abundant (76.9%) compound, while linalool (35.8%) was detected as a major constituent in L. officinalis EO. The antioxidant power evaluation revealed IC50 values ranging from 2.61 to 91.25 mg/mL for DPPH scavenging activity, while the FRAP values ranged from 0.97–8.17 µmol Trolox equivalents (TX)/g sample. In the ABTS assay, the values ranged from 7.01 to 2.40 µmol TX/g sample. In the presence of 1 mg/mL of the samples, tyrosinase inhibition rates ranged from 11.35% to 39.65%, AChE inhibition rates ranged from 40.57% to 73.60% and BuChE inhibition rates ranged from 6.47% to 72.03%. A significant cytotoxic effect was found for A. herba-alba EO. The obtained results support some of the traditional uses of these species in food preservation and for protection against several diseases.