Essential Oil Composition and Biological Activities of Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa Grown in Western Ghats Region-South India

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of essential oil of Aegle marmelos (L.) grown in Western Ghats region. The hydrodistilled essential oil was analyzed by GC/MS and yield of the oil was (0.9% v/w). A total of 31 components was identified, represents 97.44% of the oil. The major components of essential oil from Western Ghats were p-mentha-1,4(8)-diene (33.2%), limonene (13.1%), p-cymen-α-ol (9.5%), γ-gurjunene- (7.9%), β-phellandrene (4.3%), β-pinene (2.0%), pinocarvone- (3.5%), and terpinen-4-ol (1.8%). The essential oil produces significant anticancer activity against human cervical cancer cell line HeLa and less sensitive against African Monkey Kidney normal cell line Vero with IC₅₀ values of 85.6 μg/ml and 120.7 μg/ml respectively. The in vitro antioxidant activity against DPPH radicals, the essential oil is very effective to suppress the reactive oxygen species with IC₅₀ 28.35 μg/ml and BHT as the standard with IC₅₀ values of 19.50 μg/ml. This is the first kind of report on the essential oil composition and in -vitro antioxidant and anticancer activities of Aegle marmelos (L.) grown in Western Ghats region.

Key words:

• Aegle marmelos (L.)
• Western Ghats
• p-mentha-1,4(8)-diene
• limonene
• anticancer
• DPPH and antioxidant