Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit. Essential Oil on Prostate and Cervical Cancers Cells

Background and objective: Hyptis suaveolens is an aromatic plant used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso for management of various diseases including wounds and inflammatory diseases. Thus, the objective of this work was to characterize the chemical composition, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of Essential Oil (EO) of H. suaveolens from Burkina Faso on cultured cancer cells.

Materials and methods: The chemical composition of EO was determined by GC/FID and GC/MS analysis and the antioxidant activity was evaluated through inhibition of DPPH radicals and ABTS +• radical cations. The cytotoxic activity in prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) and cervical cancer cells (HeLa) of EO was evaluated by MTT assay and effect on cells cycle by flow cytometry analysis.

Results: A total of 58 compounds were identified in the EO of H. suaveolens of which the major compounds identified are Sabinene 14.03%, β-Pinene 5.92%, Limonene 4.40%, Eucalyptol 12.78%, Trans-Oxide of Linalol 5.43%, β-Caryophyllene 11.27%, Germacrene-D 3.04% and Bicyclogermacrene 8.08%. The EO of H. suaveolens showed antioxidant activity and concentration dependent antiproliferative activities with G0/G1 arrest on LNCaP and HeLa cells.

Conclusions: This work help to justify some uses of H. suaveolens in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso and also, presents a promising new application for the essential oil of H. suaveolens in prostate and cervical cancer research.

Keywords: Hyptis suaveolens; antioxidant; cytotoxic and cell cycle; essential oil.