Immunomodulatory and anticancer effects of Pituranthos tortuosus essential oil.

Many studies have been performed to assess potential utility of natural products as immunomodulants to enhance antitumor activity in situ. In this study, an essential oil (EO) from the aerial parts of Pituranthos tortuosus was prepared using hydrodistillation, its composition was characterized, and its immunomodulatory potential was assessed. The results indicated that the EO contained sabinene, α-pinene, limonene, and terpinen-4-ol as major constituents. EO was also found to be able to significantly promote lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated splenocyte proliferation, suggestive of a potential for activation of B cells and enhanced humoral immune responses in hosts given this product. Effects of EO on cell proliferation and apoptosis were also investigated in B16F10 melanoma cells. EO-induced tumor cell growth inhibition was associated with characteristic apoptotic changes in the cells, including nuclear condensation. In conclusion, these data suggested to us that an EO of P. tortuosus could evolve to be a potential medicinal resource for use in the treatment of cancers.