Chemical analysis and anti-proliferative activity of Campania Thymus Vulgaris essential oil. Issue 6 (2nd November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Catauro, Michelina; Bollino, Flavia; Tranquillo, Elisabetta; Sapio, Luigi; Illiano, Michela; Caiafa, Ilaria; Naviglio, Silvio
• Is Part Of: Journal of essential oil research. Volume 29:Issue 6(2017)
• Page Start: 461
• Page End: 470
• Publication Date: 2017-11-02
• Subjects: Thymus vulgaris L -- essential oil -- anti-proliferative activity -- human osteosarcoma cells -- pancreatic cancer cells; Essences and essential oils -- Periodicals; Oils, Volatile -- Periodicals; Plant Oils -- Periodicals; 547.71
• DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2017.1351405
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1041-2905

Abstract

Abstract: In this study, the potential antitumor activity of an essential oil (EO) obtained from Thymus vulgaris L. plants cultivated in Campania (Southern Italy) was evaluated. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate the chemical composition of EO. The monoterpenes thymol, p-cymene and carvacrol are the more abundant compounds detected. The anti-proliferative activity of the EO as a function of dose and time of exposure was evaluated by MTT assay on human osteosarcoma U2OS and pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cell lines. EO inhibits proliferation of both cell lines, but the effect on PANC-1 cells was more extensive. Flow cytometry and Western blot analyses revealed that the anti-proliferative effect is due to a decrease of cells in the S phase and their accumulation in the G1 phase, associated with the decrease of cyclin A and the increase of cell cycle inhibitor p27 protein levels, respectively.