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Abstract
Many studies have been reported on the pharmacological effects and extraction methods of lavender essential oil, but little is known about a profiling analysis of terpenoids produced in lavender leaves by ionizing irradiation. Here, we performed the profiling analysis of volatile terpenoids produced by lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.) leaves in response to gamma irradiation and the anticancer effects of terpenes induced by γ-irradiation. The analyses of volatile terpenoids revealed that lavender leaves biosynthesised 33 species of volatile terpenoids and their relative ratio were significantly changed after exposure to γ-ray. The relative ratio of monoterpene hydrocarbons such as limonene, p-cymene, and camphene (except for δ-3-carene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene, and allo-ocimene) was reduced to less than 60% at 1000 Gy, set to 100% at 0 Gy. On the contrary, the ratio of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons such as α-santalene, (E)-α-bergamotene, and γ-cadinene was up-regulated by more than 1.6-fold at 1000 Gy. Additionally, α-santalene, which was increased the most by γ-irradiation, significantly inhibited the proliferation of the human prostate cancer cell line (PC3) with an IC50 < 12.5 μg mL-1. Our findings indicate that the α-santalene is the most induced terpenoid after exposure to γ-ray in lavender leaves and that it has a pharmacological effect on reducing the cell viability in human prostate cancer cells. We suggest that non-destructive reconstitution of secondary metabolites in target plants (e.g., medicinal plants) can be achieved by using γ-irradiation as a tool.