Chemical composition and anti-proliferative activity of essential oils from some medicinal plants from Cachicadán, Región La Libertad, Perú

Abstract

This study evaluated the chemical composition and anti-proliferative activity of essential oils (EOs) obtained by hydrodistillation from seven medicinal plants from Cachicadán, La Libertad Región, Perú. Limonene (0.64 to 44.43%) and linalool (0.36 to 2.12%) were identified in all EOs by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analysis. The major components (relative intensity ≥ 10%) were cis-dihydro carvone, carvone, and cis-piperitone epoxide for Minthostachys mollis leaves; β-pinene, limonene, and ledol for Lepechinia heteromorpha leaves; limonene, neral, and geranial for Aloysia citriodora, both leaves and flowers; α-pinene, and limonene for Myrcianthes myrsinoides leaves; and α-pinene, β-myrcene, and (E)-β-Ocimene for Dalea carthagenensis leaves. Constituted by (Z)-β-ocimene, dihydrotagetone, (Z)-tagetone, and car-3-en-2-one, EO of Tagetes minuta leaves induced an irreversible cytostatic effect against MCF-7 human breast tumor cells. Further in vivo studies must be carried out to establish the safe and efficient dose of T. minuta EO as adjuvant treatment in oncological therapies.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• In vitro evaluation
• anti-proliferative activity
• clonogenic cell assay
• monoterpenes
• sesquiterpenes

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Data availability statement

The dataset analyzed during the current study is available from the corresponding author Prof. Dr. Ana Lucia T. G. Ruiz on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico, Tecnológico y de Innovacion Tecnológica (FONDECYT) (grants #75-2018-FONDECYT-BM-IADT-MU and #304-FONDECYT-USM), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, grants #429463/2018-9 and #313440/2019-0), the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP #2011/01114-4, #2014/23950-7) and the Fund for Support to Teaching, Research and Outreach Activities of the University of Campinas (FAEPEX/Unicamp, grants #2001/19, #2555/20, and #2235/21). The authors thank the Chemical, Biological, and Agricultural Pluridisciplinary Research Center (CPQBA), and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCF), both from University of Campinas (UNICAMP), and the National University of Trujillo (UNT) for the laboratory infrastructure and financial support.