An In Vitro Anti-Cancer Activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum Essential Oil by Inducing Apoptosis in Human Gastric Cancer Cell Line

Natural anticancer agents: prospection of medicinal and aromatic plants in modern chemoprevention and chemotherapy

Natural products obtained from medicinal and aromatic plants are increasingly recognized as promising anticancer agents due to their structural richness, including terpene and flavonoid molecules, which induce apoptosis and modulate gene expression. These compounds offer an alternative to conventional treatments, often costly, which face challenges such as multidrug resistance. This review aims to provide a promising alternative approach to effectively control cancer by consolidating significant findings in identifying natural products and anticancer agent development from medicinal and aromatic plants. It synthesizes the findings of a comprehensive search of academic databases, such as PubMed and Springer, prioritizing articles published in recognized peer-reviewed journals that address the bioprospecting of medicinal and aromatic plants as anticancer agents. The review addresses the anticancer activities of plant extracts and essential oils, which were selected for their relevance to chemoprevention and chemotherapy. Compounds successfully used in cancer therapy include Docetaxel (an antimitotic agent), Etoposide VP-16 (an antimitotic agent and topoisomerase II inhibitor), Topotecan (a topoisomerase I inhibitor), Thymoquinone (a Reactive Oxygen Species-ROS inducer), and Phenethyl isothiocyanate (with multiple mechanisms). The review highlights natural products such as Hinokitiol, Mahanine, Hesperetin, Borneol, Carvacrol, Eugenol, Epigallocatechin gallate, and Capsaicin for their demonstrated efficacy against multiple cancer types, including breast, cervical, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, lung, prostate, and skin cancer. Finally, it highlights the need for continued bioprospecting studies to identify novel natural products that can be successfully used in modern chemoprevention and chemotherapy.

Essential oil from Ocimum carnosum induces ROS mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and intrinsic apoptosis in HL-60 cells

The present study demonstrates that essential oil from Ocimum carnosum (EOC), possesses potent cytotoxic properties against human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. The results demonstrated a concentration- and time-dependent reduction in cell viability, with an IC50 value of 0.029 μl/ml after 24 h. Further mechanistic studies revealed that EOC induces apoptosis, a regulated form of cell death in HL-60 cells. This was evidenced by morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis, including cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, and nuclear condensation. Additionally, flow cytometric analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the sub-G0 cell population, indicative of DNA fragmentation. The mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis appears to be involved in EOC-induced cell death. A loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the subsequent release of cytochrome c into the cytosol were observed. Pronounced quantity of cytosolic cytochrome c was associated with Bcl-2 depletion. Moreover, cytochrome c, in conjunction with other apoptotic factors, activates caspases, a family of cysteine proteases that execute cell death. These findings collectively indicate that EOC possesses promising anti-cancer properties through the induction of apoptosis via a mitochondrial-dependent pathway. However, further studies are required to elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms underlying EOC's cytotoxic effects and to evaluate its therapeutic potential in vivo.

Oral-gastric digestion effect of emulsion-type ingredient of avocado seed and cytotoxic potential in gastric cancer cell

The incorporation of plant-derived bioactive compounds into the food matrix is growing due to their benefits in improving human health. Agro-industrial avocado by-products are usually inexperienced waste and represent a 22-30% total fruit weight; however, they stand out for being high in bioactive and functional components such as lipid compounds, phenolic compounds, oxalates, and fiber, among others; Bioactive compound to be characteristic to preventive chronic disease proprieties. Besides, gastric cancer has anintermediate prevalence of 10-20 in 100,000 people, and isthe fifth most common cancer worldwide; health institutions recommend consuming fruits and vegetables as an effective strategy because their bioactive compounds exert chemopreventive activity. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the bioaccessibility and chemical changes of phenolic compounds in ingredients and their implications in gastric cancer during the digestive process, mainly the gastric phase at different times. This study determined the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds and evaluated the cytotoxicity in a transformed gastric cell line (CRL-1739) during oral-gastric digestion of ingredients from avocado seed. Principal phenolic compounds in the ingredient show high concentrations of catechin, rutin, ellagic, and chlorogenic acid; The phenolic compounds are more bioaccessible in gastric phases of 10 and 25 min, attributed to acid hydrolysis. The ingredient exhibited a maximum cytotoxicity potential in the gastric cancer cell line with the gastric phase at 10 min. Hence the ingredient from avocado seed has possible functional potential in gastric digestion.

Cymbopogon citratus L. essential oil as a potential anti-biofilm agent active against antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from chronic rhinosinusitis patients

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is long-term inflammation of the sinuses that can be caused by infection due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Biofilm developed by microbes is postulated to cause antibiotic treatment failure. Thus, the anti-biofilm activities of seven Thai herbal essential oils (EOs) against antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from CRS patients was investigated. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus L.) EO showed the most effective antibiofilm activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis grown as biofilm. GC-MS analysis found that myrcene was the major bioactive compound. Pretreatment with lemongrass EO significantly inhibited biofilm formation of all bacterial strains in more than 50% of cases. Furthermore, confocal microscopy analysis revealed the biofilm-disrupting activity of lemongrass EO against the biofilm matrix of all these bacterial species and also increased P. aeruginosa swarming motility with no toxicity to human cells. These results suggest that lemongrass EO has promising clinical applications as an anti-biofilm agent for CRS patients.

Chemical Composition, In vitro and In silico Evaluation of Essential Oil from Ocimum tenuiflorum and Coriandrum sativum Linn for Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Medicinal plants play an essential role in everyday life; plants highly contain therapeutic phytoconstituents commonly used to treat various diseases. This paper discusses the Chemical composition, In vitro antiproliferative activity and In silico study of essential oil extracted from Ocimum tenuiflorum (family Lamiaceae) and Coriandrum sativum (family Apiaceae).

OBJECTIVE

In present study GC-MS was used to identify the chemical constituents from O. tenuiflorum and C. sativum. In vitro antiproliferative activity was performed on A549 cancer cell lines. In silico study was performed by Schrodinger's maestro software to identify chemical constituents in both plants as potential EGFR inhibitors for the treatment of lung cancer.

METHODS

The essential oil was extracted by hydro distillation from aerial parts of O. tenuiflorum and C. sativum. The volatile oil sample was analyzed by (GC-MS) Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry. Different chemical constituents were identified based on the retention index and compared with the NIST library. The oil samples from O. tenuiflorum and C. sativum was also evaluated for antiproliferative activity against human lung cancer A549 cell lines. In silico study was performed by Schrodinger maestro software against EGFR (PDB ID 5HG8).

RESULTS

O. tenuiflorum essential oil contains Eugenol (42.90%), 2-β-Elemene (25.98%), β- Caryophyllene (19.12%) are the major constituents. On the other side, C. sativum contains nnonadecanol- 1 (16.37%), decanal (12.37%), dodecanal (12.27%), 2-Dodecanal (9.67%), Phytol (8.81%) as the major constituents. Both the oils have shown in vitro antiproliferative activity against human lung cancer cell lines A549 having IC50 values of 38.281 μg/ml (O. tenuiflorum) and 74.536 μg/ml (C. sativum). Molecular interactions of constituents hydro distilled from two oils was analysed by schrodinger maestro software against EGFR (PDB ID 5HG8).

CONCLUSION

The oil sample extracted from O. tenuiflorum showed more antiproliferative activity than C. sativum. In silico study showed that two chemical constituents, namely di-isobutyl phthalate (-7.542 kcal/mol) and dibutyl phthalate (-7.181 kcal/mol) from O. tenuiflorum and one diethyl phthalate (-7.224 kcal/mol) from C. sativum having more docking score than standard Osimertinib which indicates the effectiveness of oils for lung cancer.

Chemical Composition of Essential Oil of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng from Burkina Faso, and Effects against Prostate and Cervical Cancer Cell Lines

The aim of this research was to evaluate the essential oil of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. (C. schoenanthus) from Burkina Faso in terms of cytotoxic activity against LNCaP cells, derived from prostate cancer, and HeLa cells, derived from cervical cancer. Antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro. Essential oil (EO) was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Thirty-seven compounds were identified, the major compounds being piperitone (49.9%), δ-2-carene (24.02%), elemol (5.79%) and limonene (4.31%). EO exhibited a poor antioxidant activity, as shown by the inhibition of DPPH radicals (IC50 = 1730 ± 80 µg/mL) and ABTS+. (IC50 = 2890 ± 26.9 µg/mL). Conversely, EO decreased the proliferation of LNCaP and HeLa cells with respective IC50 values of 135.53 ± 5.27 µg/mL and 146.17 ± 11 µg/mL. EO also prevented LNCaP cell migration and led to the arrest of their cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Altogether, this work points out for the first time that EO of C. schoenanthus from Burkina Faso could be an effective natural anticancer agent.

The Antimicrobial and Toxicity Influence of Six Carrier Oils on Essential Oil Compounds

Essential oil compounds have been identified as alternative antimicrobials; however, their use is limited due to their toxicity on human lymphocytes, skin, and reproduction. Carrier oils can reduce the toxicity of essential oils, which raises the question as to whether such activity would extend to the essential oil compounds. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial and toxicity activity of essential oil compounds in combination with carrier oils. The antimicrobial properties of the essential oil compounds, alone and in combination with carrier oils, were determined using the broth microdilution assay. The toxicity was determined using the brine shrimp lethality assay. Antimicrobial synergy (ΣFIC ≤ 0.50) occurred in 3% of the samples when tested against the ESKAPE pathogens. The compound thymoquinone in combination with the carrier oil Prunus armeniaca demonstrated broad-spectrum synergistic activity and a selectivity index above four, highlighting this combination as the most favorable. The carrier oils reduced the toxicity of several compounds, with Calendula officinalis and P. armeniaca carrier oils being responsible for the majority of the reduced toxicity observed. This study provides insight into the interactions that may occur when adding a carrier oil to essential oil compounds.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Impairment of Ribosome Biogenesis Mediate the Apoptosis Induced by Ocimum x africanum Essential Oil in a Human Gastric Cancer Cell Line

Background and Objectives: Gastric cancer remains a major unmet clinical problem worldwide. Although conventional medical treatments are available, their curative effects are generally unsatisfactory. Consequently, it remains necessary to search natural products for potential alternatives in treating gastric cancer patients. Ocimum x africanum Lour. is a culinary herb that has been used in folk medicine for various diseases, but little is known regarding its anti-cancer activity against gastric cancer cells. In the current study, we focus on the anti-cancer mechanisms of O. x africanum essential oil (OAEO) in the AGS human gastric cancer cell line. Materials and Methods: After OAEO treatment, AGS cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Cell migration and apoptotic nuclear morphology were determined by wound-healing assay and DAPI staining, respectively. Gene expression levels of apoptosis-related genes were quantified by qRT–PCR. Differential protein expression was determined with an LC–MS/MS-based proteomics approach to identify the key proteins that may be important in the anti-cancer mechanisms of OAEO on AGS cells. The chemical constituents of OAEO were identified by GC–MS analysis. Results: We found OAEO to exhibit a potent growth-inhibiting effect on AGS cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 42.73 µg/mL. After OAEO treatment for 24 h, AGS cell migration was significantly decreased relative to the untreated control. OAEO-treated AGS cells exhibited common features of apoptotic cell death, including cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, and nuclear fragmentation. Apoptotic cell death was confirmed by qRT–PCR for apoptosis-related genes, revealing that OAEO decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic genes (BCL2 and BCL-xL) and activated pro-apoptotic genes and apoptotic caspase genes (TP53, BAX, CASP9, CASP12, and CASP3). Moreover, expression of CASP8 was not changed after treatment. Proteomic analysis revealed that OAEO may produce a signature effect on protein clusters relating to unfolded protein accumulation, thereby inducing severe ER stress and also impairing ribosome synthesis. STRING analysis revealed seven up-regulated and 11 down-regulated proteins, which were significantly associated with protein folding and ribosome biogenesis, respectively. Using GC–MS analysis, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, citral, neral, and linalool were found to be the major chemical constituents in OAEO. Conclusions: Taken together, these results indicate that OAEO has a potential anti-proliferative effect on AGS cells. Our molecular findings show evidence supporting an important role of ER stress and ribosome biogenesis impairment in mediating the induction of cell death by OAEO through the mitochondrial-apoptotic pathway. This study, therefore, provides fundamental knowledge for future applications using OAEO as an alternative therapy in gastric cancer management.

Effects of Ocimum tenuiflorum on Induced Testicular Degeneration by Filgrastim in Wistar Rats

Since the creation of man on earth, herbal remedies have been used as an invaluable, safe, and available natural source of medicine for the treatment of several dysfunctions in living animals and human beings. The pharmacological properties of these herbs are commonly known to include analgesic, antidiabetic, antispasmodic, hepatoprotective, reproductive, and cardioprotective potentials. Various nutritional, environmental, and physiological factors can affect the male reproductive system. Several herbal remedies are reported to target the testis at the spermatogenesis and hormonal level. Most of the chemotherapy drugs used for treating cancers cause adverse effects on male reproductive functions. Filgrastim is used for the treatment of cancer in patients suffering from neutropenia. Ocimum tenuiflorum is one of the herbal remedies used as a natural antioxidant substance for protecting the body organs against the toxic effects of chemotherapy drugs. Therefore, the current study was designed to investigate the possible productive effects of the O. tenuiflorum against adverse effects of filgrastim on testicular tissues in male Wistar rats. In total, 40 adult male rats were selected and randomly divided into four groups (n=10). Group 1 was treated with intraperitoneal administration of filgrastim at a dose of 30.83 µg/kg/day for 1 week. Group 2 received O. tenuiflorum suspended in corn oil and administered by gavages at 20 mg/kg/day for 1 week. Group 3 was intraperitoneally injected with filgrastim at a dose of 30.83 µg/kg/day for 1 week and treated with O. tenuiflorum at similar manure to group 2. Finally, group 4 was treated with placebo (0.9% saline solution). The results showed that filgrastim administration leads to the degeneration of spermatozoa and germ cells in the testicles of rats. The results of the current study showed that O. tenuiflorum has some ameliorating effects on the testicles and fertility of the rats which were treated with filgrastim. Finally, the recorded data showed that O. tenuiflorum has protective effects on testis tissues and reproductive functions in male rats.