In vitro Anticancer Activity and Antioxidant Properties of Essential Oils from Populus alba L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. from South Eastern Anatolia of Turkey

Abstract:

Background and Purpose: In recent years, essential oils (EO_s) have been reported to possess interesting anti-tumor, anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic activities against various cancer cells. Therefore, we aimed to investigate potential biological activities of EO_s from white poplar (Populus alba L., Salicaceae) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lamiaceae). Material and Methods: EO_s from P. alba L. and R. officinalis L. were extracted by hydrodistillation. MTT assay was carried out to determine the potential antiproliferative and cytotoxic properties of the essential oils as well as their corresponding IC₅₀, and the inhibition (%) calculated. Antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, and lipid peroxidation capacity was evaluated using thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) method, and the values were calculated using the standards. Results: The EO_s were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic, antioxidant and lipid oxidation activities. Regarding cytotoxic activity rosemary essential oil possessed strong inhibition (IC₅₀ = 3.06-7.38 μg/mL) of cell proliferation in comparison to that of P. alba L. (IC₅₀ = 10.53-28.16 μg/mL). Additionally, EO from R. officinalis L. was found to have higher antioxidant and lipid peroxidation capacities with IC₅₀ of 10.08 ± 0.15 and 1.76 ± 0.01, respectively. Conclusion: The results suggest that the EO_s of both sources exhibited strong antiproliferative, cytotoxic and potent antioxidant properties and therefore they can have potential applications in the cancer treatment.

KEY WORDS: Cytotoxicity, Populus alba L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., DPPH, EO_s, MTT, TBARS, IC₅₀.