The Essential Oil from <i>Oliveria decumbens</i> Vent. (Apiaceae) as Inhibitor of Breast Cancer Cell (MCF-7) Growth

• Main Authors: Mandana Shariatzadeh (Author), Akbar Karami (Author), Ali Moghadam (Author), Mahbobeh Lotfi (Author), Filippo Maggi (Author), Esmaeil Ebrahimie (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

<i>Oliveria decumbens</i> Vent. is an aromatic and medicinal plant traditionally used in Iran for the treatment of infections, gastrointestinal diseases, cancer, and inflammation. This research was aimed at investigating the pharmacological potential of <i>O. decumbens</i> essential oil (OEO) and its main compounds, focusing on OEO's cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. OEO was obtained by hydro-distillation, and the chemical constituents were identified using GC-MS. Thymol, carvacrol, γ-terpinene, and <i>p</i>-cymene were the main OEO constituents. When MCF-7 cells were treated with OEO, the expressions of genes related to apoptosis (<i>BIM</i> and <i>Bcl-2</i>), tumor suppression (<i>PTEN</i>), and cell growth inhibition (<i>AURKA</i>), were evaluated using real-time PCR. Moreover, molecular docking was used for studying in silico the interaction of OEO principal compounds with PTEN and AURKA. The expression of <i>AURKA</i> was significantly reduced since the OEO treatment enhanced the expression of <i>PTEN</i>. Through in silico molecular docking, it was revealed that thymol, carvacrol, <i>p</i>-cymene, and γ-terpinene can activate PTEN and thus inhibit AURKA. Additionally, the DNA fragmentation assay, acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) double-staining assay, and real-time PCR highlighted the fact that the OEO treatment could activate apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation. Therefore, OEO is a viable candidate to be employed in the pharmaceutical industry, specifically as a possible agent for cancer therapy.

Item Description

10.3390/ph16010059
1424-8247