1. Essential oil composition and biological activity from Artemisia caerulescens subsp. densiflora (Viv.) Gamisans ex Kerguélen & Lambinon (Asteraceae), an endemic species in the habitat of La Maddalena Archipelago.
- Author
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Ornano L, Venditti A, Ballero M, Sanna C, Donno Y, Quassinti L, Bramucci M, Vitali LA, Petrelli D, Tirillini B, Papa F, Maggi F, and Bianco A
- Subjects
- Anti-Infective Agents, Antineoplastic Agents chemistry, Antineoplastic Agents pharmacology, Antioxidants, Cell Line, Tumor, Ecosystem, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Humans, Inhibitory Concentration 50, Italy, Oils, Volatile pharmacology, Terpenes chemistry, Artemisia chemistry, Asteraceae chemistry, Oils, Volatile chemistry
- Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the composition of the essential oil obtained from a population of Artemisia caerulescens subsp. densiflora growing in Razzoli, an island in the La Maddalena Archipelago (Sardinia, Italy). A. caerulescens sups. densiflora Viv. (Asteraceae), a wild herb, seldom studied in the Mediterranean, represents one of the many rare endemic species growing in North Sardinia. The essential oil composition was analysed by means of GC/MS analysis, which showed davana ethers as the major volatile components, accounting together for 17.5%, followed by (E)-nerolidol (4.5%), β-oplopenone (3.3%), cis-sabinene hydrate (5.2%) and terpinen-4-ol (4.7%). The oil was tested for antioxidant activity by means of DPPH test, inhibition of lipid oxidation test and hypochlorous acid test, which showed a quite interesting scavenger capacity. For the first time, we reported the cytotoxic activity of the essential oil of A. caerulescens subsp. densiflora, against three human tumour cell lines (A375, MDA-MB231 and HCT116), with IC50 values in the range 5.20-7.61 μg/mL, which deserved further studies to support its use as chemopreventive agent. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil, displayed on a panel of human pathogens, was very low.
- Published
- 2016
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