Chemical composition and cytotoxic potency of essential oil from Seseli petraeum M. Bieb. (Apiaceae)

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the chemical composition and in vitro cytotoxic activity of the fruit essential oil of Seseli petraeum M. Bieb. growing in the Northern side of Anatolia. The Seseli petraeum essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation from the fruits and analyzed by GC/MS to determine its chemical composition. The major components have been determined as carotol (17.25%), gamma-terpinene (10.73%), beta-farnesene (8.50%), p-cymene (7.93%), germacrene-D (7.65%), and sabinene (7.31%). The cytotoxic activity of the essential oil was evaluated by MTT assay in vitro on cell proliferation with MCF-7 (Human breast adenocarcinoma) and A549 (Human lung carcinoma) cells. The results showed that the essential oil has potent cytotoxicity against treated cancer cells, whereas it was more cytotoxic in MCF-7 cells (IC50=390.38 mu g/mL). The results demonstrated that S. petraeum essential oil has a marked cytotoxic effect against treated cancer cells. Although this effect is likely to be caused by carotol owing to a major component of the oil, further designed studies are necessary due to the possibility of activity, and maybe it occurred due to the synergistic effects of the oil components. The findings of this study may promote the use of the species for pharmaceutical purposes.