Chemical composition, antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities of the essential oils of Myristica fragrans and Morinda citrifolia.
Sleutelwoorden
Abstract
BACKGROUND
In this study the chemical composition, antioxidant activities and cytotoxic effect of the essential oils of Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) and Morinda citrifolia (mengkudu) were determined.
RESULTS
Thirty-eight compounds in nutmeg oil and six compounds in mengkudu oil were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The free radical scavenging activity of nutmeg oil was superior of that mengkudu oil. The MTT assay of nutmeg oil on human colorectal carcinoma (HCT-116) and human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines showed IC₅₀ values of 78.61 and 66.45 µg mL⁻¹, respectively. The mengkudu oil exhibited IC₅₀ values of 91.46 and 78.15 µg mL⁻¹ for HCT-116 and MCF-7, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that nutmeg oil can be developed as potent anti-cancer and antioxidant drugs.
