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Planta Med 2012; 78(18): 1927-1931
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1327896
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Letters
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Phytochemical Analysis and Cytotoxicity Towards Multidrug-Resistant Leukemia Cells of Essential Oils Derived from Lebanese Medicinal Plants

Antoine M. Saab
1   Faculty of Sciences II, Lebanese University, Chemistry Department, Fanar, Beirut, Lebanon
,
Alessandra Guerrini
2   Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies (SVEB), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
,
Gianni Sacchetti
2   Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies (SVEB), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
,
Silvia Maietti
2   Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies (SVEB), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
,
Maʼen Zeino
3   Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Deutschland
,
Joachim Arend
3   Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Deutschland
,
Roberto Gambari
4   Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Section Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
,
Francesco Bernardi
4   Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Section Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
,
Thomas Efferth
3   Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Deutschland
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 22 July 2012
revised 25 September 2012

accepted 26 September 2012

Publication Date:
15 November 2012 (online)

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Abstract

Juniperus excelsa fruit essential oil as well as J. oxycedrus, Cedrus libani, and Pinus pinea wood essential oils have been obtained with yields between 2.2 ± 0.3 % to 3.4 ± 0.5 % and analyzed by gas chromatography. Sesquiterpenes mainly characterized C. libani and J. oxycedrus essential oils, while in P. pinea and J. excelsa, monoterpenes were the most abundant compounds. In J. oxycedrus, cis-calamenene (7.8 %), cuparene (3.8 %), and cis-thujopsenal (2.0 %) have been detected for the first time. The cytotoxic activity of these essential oils against drug-sensitive CCRF-CEM and multidrug-resistant P-glycoprotein-expressing CEM/ADR5000 leukemia cells has been investigated (IC50 values: 29.46 to 61.54 µg/mL). Remarkably, multidrug-resistant CEM/ADR5000 cells did not reveal cross-resistance, indicating that these essential oils might be useful to treat otherwise drug-resistant and refractory tumors.

Key words

cancer - essential oils - gas chromatography - multidrug resistance - Juniperus excelsa - Juniperus oxycedrus - Cupressaceae - Cedrus libani - Pinus pinea - Pinaceae
 

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