Andrographolide: A Diterpenoid from Cymbopogon schoenanthus Identified as a New Hit Compound against Trypanosoma cruzi Using Machine Learning and Experimental Approaches.

American Trypanosomiasis, also known as Chagas disease, is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi and exhibits limited options for treatment. Natural products offer various structurally complex metabolites with biological activities, including those with anti-T. cruzi potential. The discovery and development of prototypes based on natural products frequently display multiple phases that could be facilitated by machine learning techniques to provide a fast and efficient method for selecting new hit candidates. Using Random Forest and k-Nearest Neighbors, two models were constructed to predict the biological activity of natural products from plants against intracellular amastigotes of T. cruzi. The diterpenoid andrographolide was identified from a virtual screening as a promising hit compound. Hereafter, it was isolated from Cymbopogon schoenanthus and chemically characterized by spectral data analysis. Andrographolide was evaluated against trypomastigote and amastigote forms of T. cruzi, showing IC50 values of 29.4 and 2.9 µM, respectively, while the standard drug benznidazole displayed IC50 values of 17.7 and 5.0 µM, respectively. Additionally, the isolated compound exhibited a reduced cytotoxicity (CC50 = 92.8 µM) against mammalian cells and afforded a selectivity index (SI) of 32, similar to that of benznidazole (SI = 39). From the in silico analyses, we can conclude that andrographolide fulfills many requirements implemented by DNDi to be a hit compound. Therefore, this work successfully obtained machine learning models capable of predicting the activity of compounds against intracellular forms of T. cruzi.

A New Blend of Litsea cubeba, Pinus mugo, and Cymbopogon winterianus Essential Oil Active as an Anti-tyrosinase Ingredient in Topical Formulations.

Tyrosinase is a target enzyme to be inhibited in order to reduce excessive melanin production and prevent typical age-related skin disorders. Essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile compounds, belonging mainly to monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids, which have been relatively little studied as tyrosinase inhibitors. Among the monoterpenoids, citral (a mixture of neral and geranial) is a fragrance compound in several essential oils that has shown interesting tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Although citral is listed as an allergen among the 26 fragrances in Annex III of the Cosmetics Directive 2003/15/EC, it can be safely used for the formulation of topical products in amounts that are not expected to cause skin sensitization, as shown by various commercially available products.The aim of this work was to evaluate two different formulations (oil/water emulsion, oily solution) containing a new combination of essential oils (Litsea cubeba, Pinus mugo, Cymbopogon winterianus) applied to the skin both in nonocclusive and partially occlusive modes. The blend is designed to reduce the concentration of citral to avoid potential skin reactions while taking advantage of the inhibitory activity of citral. Specifically, the amount of citral and other bioactive compounds (myrcene, citronellal) delivered through the skin was studied as a function of formulation and mode of application.The results show that an oil/water emulsion is preferable because it releases the bioactive compounds rapidly and minimizes their evaporative loss. In addition, semi-occluded conditions are required to prevent evaporation, resulting in higher availability of the bioactive compounds in viable skin.

Cymbopogon citratus L. essential oil as a potential anti-biofilm agent active against antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from chronic rhinosinusitis patients.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is long-term inflammation of the sinuses that can be caused by infection due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Biofilm developed by microbes is postulated to cause antibiotic treatment failure. Thus, the anti-biofilm activities of seven Thai herbal essential oils (EOs) against antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from CRS patients was investigated. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus L.) EO showed the most effective antibiofilm activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis grown as biofilm. GC-MS analysis found that myrcene was the major bioactive compound. Pretreatment with lemongrass EO significantly inhibited biofilm formation of all bacterial strains in more than 50% of cases. Furthermore, confocal microscopy analysis revealed the biofilm-disrupting activity of lemongrass EO against the biofilm matrix of all these bacterial species and also increased P. aeruginosa swarming motility with no toxicity to human cells. These results suggest that lemongrass EO has promising clinical applications as an anti-biofilm agent for CRS patients.

Antibacterial activity of Cymbopogon species essential oils against Xanthomonas citri and their use in post-harvest treatment for citrus canker management.

Citrus canker is a disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium Xanthomonas citri subp. citri (X. citri), which affects all commercially important varieties of citrus and can lead to significant losses. Fruit sanitization with products such as chlorine-based ones can reduce the spread of the disease. While effective, their use raises concerns about safety of the workers. This work proposes essential oils (EOs) as viable alternatives for fruit sanitization. EOs from Cymbopogon species were evaluated as to their antibacterial activity, their effect on the bacterial membrane, and their ability to sanitize citrus fruit. The in vitro assays revealed that the EOs from C. schoenanthus and C. citratus had a lower bactericidal concentration at 312 mg L-1, followed by 625 mg L-1 for C. martini and C. winterianus. Microscopy assay revealed that the bacterial cell membranes were disrupted after 15 min of contact with all EOs tested. Regarding the sanitizing potential, the EOs with higher proportions of geraniol were more effective in sanitizing acid limes. Fruit treated with C. shoenanthus and C. martini showed a reduction of ∼68% in the recovery of viable bacterial cells. Therefore, these EOs can be used as viable natural alternatives in citrus fruit disinfection.

Antifungal, molecular docking and cytotoxic effect of the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. and Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle against Candida albicans.

Brazil is renowned for its extensive plant biodiversity, with emphasis on Cymbopogon, C. citratus and C. nardus, with broad antimicrobial potential. Candidemias caused by Candida albicans are highly prevalent in immunosuppressed individuals and are associated with infections by biofilms on medical devices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of essential oils C. citratus and C. nardus against C. albicans in planktonic and biofilm forms. Essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and chemical composition evaluated by GC-FID and GC-MS. The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by the broth microdilution method and the synergy effect of essential oils and amphotericin B were evaluated by the checkerboard test. Biofilm activity was determined by the XTT assay. Cytotoxicity assays performed with VERO cells and molecular docking were performed to predict the effect of oil interaction on the SAP-5 enzyme site. The results showed activity of essential oils against planktonic cells and biofilm of C. albicans. Furthermore, the oils had a synergistic effect, and low cytotoxicity. Molecular docking showed interaction between Cadinene, Caryophyllen oxide, Germacrene D with SAP-5. The results indicate that Cymbopogon spp. studied are anti-Candida, with potential for further application in therapy against infections caused by C. albicans.

Biosynthesis of Al2 O3 and europium-doped Al2 O3 nanoparticle using Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) extract and its antibacterial property.

Cymbopogon citratus-mediated pure aluminium oxide (Al2 O3 ) and europium (Eu)-doped Al2 O3 with different amounts of metal ion were prepared using a green synthesis method. Synthesised nanoparticles were characterised by ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Synthesis of nanoparticles is confirmed by using UV-visible spectroscopy showing maximum absorption at 411 and 345 nm for Al2 O3 and Eu-doped Al2 O3 , respectively. The antibacterial activity of prepared nanoparticles was evaluated against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae using a well-diffusion technique. The effect of pure Al2 O3 and Eu-doped nanoparticles shows excellent results against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, E. coli and K. pneumoniae.

Comparative evaluation of biodegradation of chlorpyrifos by various bacterial strains: Kinetics and pathway elucidation.

The present study focused on the isolation and identification of CP and TCP bacteria degrading bacteria from the rhizospheric zone of aromatic grasses i.e. palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb. Wats), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) and vetiver (Chrysopogon zizaniodes (L.) Nash.). So that these isolates alone or in combination with the vegetation of aromatic grasses will be used to clean up CP-contaminated soils. The study also explored enzymatic activities, CO2 release, dechlorination potential, and degradation pathways of bacterial strains. A total of 53 CP-tolerant bacteria were isolated on their physical characteristics and their ability to degrade CP. The ten highly CP-tolerant isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pa608, three strains of Pseudomonas hibiscicola R4-721 from different rhizosphere, Enterococcus lectis PP2a, Pseudomonas monteilii NBFPALD_RAS131, Enterobacter cloacae L3, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia PEG-390, Escherichia coli ABRL132, and Escherichia coli O104:H4 strain FWSEC0009. The CO2 emission and phosphatase activities of the isolates varied from 3.1 to 8.6 µmol mL-1 and 12.3 to 31 µmol PNP h-1, respectively in the CP medium. The degradation kinetics of CP by these isolates followed a one-phase decay model with a dissipation rate ranging from 0.048 to 0.41 d-1 and a half-life of 1.7-14.3 days. The growth data fitted in the SGompertz equation showed a growth rate (K) of 0.21 ± 0.28 to 0.91 ± 0.33 d-1. The P. monteilii strain had a faster growth rate while E. coli ABRL132 had slower growth among the isolates. The rate of TCP accumulation calculated by the SGompertz equation was 0.21 ± 0.02 to 1.18 ± 0.19 d-1. The Pseudomonas monteilii showed a lower accumulation rate of TCP. Among these, four highly effective isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pa608, Pseudomonas monteilii NBFPALD_RAS131, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia PEG-390, and Pseudomonas hibiscicola R4-721. Illustrations of the degradation pathways indicated that the difference in metabolic pathways of each isolate was associated with their growth rate, phosphatase, dehydrogenase, oxidase, and dechlorination activities.

Cymbopogon citratus Essential Oil in Controlling of Bacteria Associated with Oral Cavity of Dogs In Vitro and Dry Pet Feed.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil against bacteria isolated from the oral cavity of dogs and applied directly to artificially contaminated feed. The commercial dry dog feed received the inoculum of the bacteria prevalent in the oral cavity of the dogs where C. citratus was deposited in the feed by spray. In total, 42 isolates were obtained, 38 Gram-positive and 4 Gram-negative. Staphylococcus spp. was the most prevalent bacteria in the oral cavity of dogs (76.2%). The isolates showed high levels of resistance to different antimicrobials. The minimum inhibitory concentration capable of inhibiting oral bacteria was 0.38 mg/mL. C. citratus essential oil showed positive results with a significant bacterial reduction when applied to feed, signaling the need for further studies to enable its use in the control of pathogens transmitted by animal feed.

Divergent Roles of the Auxin Response Factors in Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) W. Watson) during Plant Growth.

Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) make up a plant-specific transcription factor family that mainly couples perception of the phytohormone, auxin, and gene expression programs and plays an important and multi-faceted role during plant growth and development. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) is a representative Cymbopogon species widely used in gardening, beverages, fragrances, traditional medicine, and heavy metal phytoremediation. Biomass yield is an important trait for several agro-economic purposes of lemongrass, such as landscaping, essential oil production, and phytoremediation. Therefore, we performed gene mining of CfARFs and identified 26 and 27 CfARF-encoding genes in each of the haplotype genomes of lemongrass, respectively. Phylogenetic and domain architecture analyses showed that CfARFs can be divided into four groups, among which groups 1, 2, and 3 correspond to activator, repressor, and ETTN-like ARFs, respectively. To identify the CfARFs that may play major roles during the growth of lemongrass plants, RNA-seq was performed on three tissues (leaf, stem, and root) and four developmental stages (3-leaf, 4-leaf, 5-leaf. and mature stages). The expression profiling of CfARFs identified several highly expressed activator and repressor CfARFs and three CfARFs (CfARF3, 18, and 35) with gradually increased levels during leaf growth. Haplotype-resolved transcriptome analysis revealed that biallelic expression dominance is frequent among CfARFs and contributes to their gene expression patterns. In addition, co-expression network analysis identified the modules enriched with CfARFs. By establishing orthologous relationships among CfARFs, sorghum ARFs, and maize ARFs, we showed that CfARFs were mainly expanded by whole-genome duplications, and that the duplicated CfARFs might have been divergent due to differential expression and variations in domains and motifs. Our work provides a detailed catalog of CfARFs in lemongrass, representing a first step toward characterizing CfARF functions, and may be useful in molecular breeding to enhance lemongrass plant growth.

Acyclic monoterpenoid-rich essential oil of Cymbopogon distans mitigates skin inflammation: a chemico-pharmacological study.

The topical application of essential oils is considered an effective treatment for skin diseases. Cymbopogon distans (Nees ex Steud.) Wats (Poaceae) is a promising aromatic grass widespread in the Himalayan temperate zone. Therefore, using in-vitro and in-vivo bioassays, we examined the chemical and pharmacological characteristics of essential oil hydro-distilled from C. distans coded as CDA-01, specifically concerning skin inflammation. Characterization using GC-FID and GC-MS provided a chemical fingerprint for CDA-01, enabling the identification of 54 compounds; amongst them, citral (34.3%), geranyl acetate (21.2%), and geraniol (16.4%) were the most abundant. To examine the anti-inflammatory potential, CDA-01 treatment on LPS-stimulated macrophage cells in addition to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) generated cutaneous inflammatory reaction in the mouse ear was assessed through quantification of the inflammatory markers. Consequently, CDA-01 demonstrated protection against inflammation caused by LPS by lowering the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) level in HaCaT cells with negligible cytotoxicity. Consistent with the in-vitro findings, CDA-01 treatment reduced pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-, IL-6, and NO) and lipid peroxidation in an in-vivo investigation. Subcutaneous inflammation in TPA-treated mice ears was similarly decreased, as evidenced by the histological and morphological studies. As a result of our findings, it is possible that CDA-01 could be an effective treatment for skin inflammation disorders.

Combination effects of phytonutrient pellet and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) powder on rumen fermentation efficiency and nutrient degradability using in vitro technique.

Phytonutrients (PTN) namely saponins (SP) and condensed tannins (CT) have been demonstrated to assess the effect of rumen fermentation and methane mitigation. Phytonutrient pellet containing mangosteen, rambutan, and banana flower (MARABAC) and lemongrass including PTN, hence these plant-phytonutrients supplementation could be an alternative plant with a positive effect on rumen fermentation. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of supplementation of MARABAC and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) powder on in vitro fermentation modulation and the ability to mitigate methane production. The treatments were arranged according to a 3 × 3 Factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. The two experimental factors consisted of MARABAC pellet levels (0%, 1%, and 2% of the total substrate) and lemongrass supplementation levels (0%, 1%, and 2% of the total substrate). The results of this study revealed that supplementation with MARABAC pellet and lemongrass powder significantly improved gas production kinetics (P < 0.01) and rumen fermentation end-products especially the propionate production (P < 0.01). While rumen methane production was subsequently reduced by both factors. Additionally, the in vitro dry matter degradability (IVDMD) and organic matter degradability (IVOMD) were greatly improved (P < 0.05) by the respective treatments. MARABAC pellet and lemongrass powder combination showed effective methane mitigation by enhancing rumen fermentation end-products especially the propionate concentration and both the IVDMD and IVOMD, while mitigated methane production. The combined level of both sources at 2% MARABAC pellet and 2% lemongrass powder of total substrates offered the best results. Therefore, MARABAC pellet and lemongrass powder supplementation could be used as an alternative source of phytonutrient in dietary ruminant.

The bio-adsorption competence of tailor made lemon grass adsorbents on oils: An in-vitro approach.

The oil contamination in aquatic system is considered as most serious environmental issues and identifying a suitable ecofriendly solution for this oil pollution management is critical. Hence, this research was designed to evaluate the oils (petrol, diesel, engine oil, and crude oil) adsorptive features through raw lemon grass adsorbent, physically/chemically treated adsorbents. Initially, such raw and treated adsorbents were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. These characterization techniques revealed that the lemon grass adsorbent had considerable level of pollutant adsorption potentials owing to porous morphological structure, active functional groups and pollutants interaction with chemical elements. The physically treated adsorbent exhibited better adsorption characteristics than others. Accordingly, the petrol adsorption potential of raw adsorbent, physically treated and chemically treated ones was discovered as their weight incremented up to 2.0, 3.0, and 1.5 times their initial weight, respectively. Similarly, the weight of raw form, physically and chemically treated ones on diesel had increased significantly, up to 2.5 times, 4.0 times, and 2.0 times, respectively. It was evaluated that the weight of these tested adsorbents on engine oil incremented by 3.5, 5.0, and 3.0 times their initial weight, while on crude oil these incremented by 4.0, 6.0, and 4.0 times their initial weight respectively. When the media are compared, it's indeed evident about absorption which is preferred as follows: Crude oil, engine oil, diesel, and petrol. The physically treated lemon grass adsorbent showed maximum adsorption and retention potential than others. The kinetic study reveals that the pseudo second order kinetics is the best fit for the adsorption of oil with R2 value of 0.99.

Widely targeted metabolomics analysis reveals the differences in nonvolatile compounds of citronella before and after drying.

Citronella is used as a spice and a traditional herbal medicine. Dried citronella is easy to store and transport, and it is unclear whether dried citronella has more or fewer medicinal components compared to fresh citronella. In the present study, various metabolites in fresh and dry citronella were detected using a widely targeted metabolomics strategy. We identified 712 metabolites and classified them into 31 categories, and we identified 132 flavonoids. After citronella was dried, the quantities of most kinds of flavonoids increased, but the quantities of amino acids, organic acids, and vitamins decreased, and the quantity of quercetin increased significantly. Therefore, the medicinal value of dry citronella may have increased, and the nutritional value of amino acids and vitamins may have decreased. The results of this study can serve as a new theoretical reference to study citronella and promote its nutrition and medicinal chemical composition.

Lemongrass Essential Oil Attenuates Perfluorooctane Sulfonate-Induced Jejunal Mucosal Injury in Rat: A Histological, Immunohistochemical, and Biochemical Study.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has harmful impacts on various organs, including the intestine. Lemongrass essential oil (LGEO) has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory effects. This study investigated the impact of PFOS on the mucosa of the jejunum of rats and evaluated LGEO's protective impact. Four groups of rats were created: control, LGEO (100 mg/kg/day), PFOS (5 mg/kg/day), and LGEO-PFOS group. The agents were given orally for 28 days. Oxidative stress parameters, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and caspase-3 were measured in jejunal homogenates. Rat jejunal sections were evaluated histologically (light and electron microscopic examination) and immunohistochemically [for tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), and Bcl2]. PFOS significantly elevated oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines, caspase-3, and gene expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) and inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS). The disturbed architecture of jejunal villi and crypts was demonstrated. Immunohistochemically, a significant rise in TNF-α, PCNA, and COX2 and a significant decrease in Bcl2 expression were revealed compared to control group. Further ultrastructural alterations included dilated RER, mitochondria with destroyed cristae, vacuolated cytoplasm, and shrunken condensed nuclei of enterocytes. LGEO treatment significantly reduced these harmful effects. LGEO protected against PFOS-induced jejunal damage by reducing the oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic impacts.

In Vitro Antibacterial Efficacy of Cymbopogon flexuosus Essential Oil against Aeromonas hydrophila of Fish Origin and in Silico Molecular Docking of the Essential Oil Components against DNA Gyrase-B and Their Drug-Likeness.

In aquaculture, diseases caused by the Aeromonads with high antibiotic resistance are among the most common and troublesome diseases. Application of herbs is emerging as a tool in controlling these diseases. Plant extracts besides disease control, favor various physiological activities in fish. In this study, essential oil of Cymbopogon flexuosus (Poaceae family) was studied in vitro for its antibacterial efficacy against two oxytetracycline (OTC) resistant and one sensitive strains of Aeromonas hydrophila. The oil was found rich (86.93 %) in oxygenated terpenoids containing 74.15 % of citral. The oil exhibited dose dependent growth inhibition of the bacteria. Mean MIC value of the oil against the sensitive strain was recorded as 2.0 mg mL-1 whereas MBC value was recorded as 4.0 mg mL-1 . The oil was found effective against the OTC resistant isolates with the MIC and MBC values ranging from 2.67-3.33 and 4.0-6.67 mg mL-1 , respectively. In silico molecular docking of the essential oil components against DNA gyrase-B, a vital macromolecule in bacterial cell, was carried out to computationally asses the efficacy of the oil against the bacteria. Some of the components of the essential oil strongly bonded with the enzyme to inhibit its efficacy. Binding energy of some components of the oil was comparable to that of the conventional antibiotic, OTC. The identified phytochemicals exhibited favorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties and satisfied the rule of five (Ro5).

Enhanced Two-Step Extraction from Biomass of Two Cymbopogon Species Cultivated in Santander, Colombia.

The insertion of circular economy principles into the essential oil (EO) production chain aims to reduce waste generation and make integral use of harvested plant material. Higher profits from integral use with reduced waste generation contribute to the eventual use of the EO value chain as an alternative to illicit crops in Colombia (mostly coca). In this study, Java-type citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) and palmarosa (C. martinii) plant materials were used in two consecutive processes to obtain EOs and extracts. The residual biomass after EO distillation was subjected to ultrasound-assisted hydroethanolic extraction to afford extracts that contained bioactive compounds. Citronella and palmarosa were distilled with typical EO yields (1.0 ± 0.1% for citronella; 0.41 ± 0.06% for palmarosa; n = 5) either through hydrodistillation assisted by microwave radiation or through steam distillation, and their composition (determined via GC/FID/MS analysis) and physicochemical parameters fell within their ISO standard specifications. The concentration of citronellal, the major compound of citronella oil, was 500 ± 152 mg/g. Geraniol, the main component of palmarosa oil, was found at 900 ± 55 mg/g. The citronella and palmarosa hydroalcoholic extracts (4-11% yield) were analyzed with UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS, which permitted the identification of 30 compounds, mainly C-glycosylated flavones and hydroxycinnamic acids. Both extracts had similar antioxidant activity values, evaluated using the ABTS+● and ORAC assays (110 ± 44 µmol Trolox®/g extract and 1300 ± 141 µmol Trolox®/g extract, respectively).

Essential Oil Composition Analysis of Cymbopogon Species from Eastern Nepal by GC-MS and Chiral GC-MS, and Antimicrobial Activity of Some Major Compounds.

Cymbopogon species essential oil (EO) carries significant importance in pharmaceuticals, aromatherapy, food, etc. The chemical compositions of Cymbopogon spp. Viz. Cymbopogon winterianus (citronella) Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass), and Cymbopogon martini (palmarosa) were analyzed by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC-MS), enantiomeric distribution by chiral GC-MS, and antimicrobial activities of some selected pure major compound and root and leaves EOs of citronella. The EO of leaves of Cymbopogon spp. showed comparatively higher yield than roots or other parts. Contrary to citral (neral and geranial) being a predominant compound of Cymbopogon spp., α-elemol (53.1%), α-elemol (29.5%), geraniol (37.1%), and citral (90.4%) were detected as major compounds of the root, root hair with stalk, leaf, and root stalk with shoot of citronella EO, respectively. Palmarosa leaves' EO contains neral (36.1%) and geranial (53.1) as the major compounds. In the roots of palmarosa EO, the prime components were α-elemol (31.5%), geranial (25.0%), and neral (16.6%). Similarly, lemongrass leaves' EO contains geraniol (76.6%) and geranyl acetate (15.2%) as major compounds, while the root EO contains a higher amount of geraniol (87.9%) and lower amount of geranyl acetate (4.4%). This study reports for the first time chiral terpenoids from Cymbopogon spp. EOs. Chiral GC-MS gave specific enantiomeric distributions of nine, six, and five chiral terpenoids in the root, root stalk with a shoot, and leaves of citronella EOs, respectively. Likewise, four and three chiral terpenoids in the root and leaves of lemongrass oil followed by two chiral terpenoids in the leaves and root of palmarosa EOs each. Additionally, the root and leaves' EOs of citronella exhibit noticeable activity on bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pyogenes and fungus such as Candida albicans, Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. So, geranial-, neral-, geraniol-, and citronellal-rich EOs can be used as an alternative antimicrobial agent.

Cymbopogon citratus and Citral Overcome Doxorubicin Resistance in Cancer Cells via Modulating the Drug's Metabolism, Toxicity, and Multidrug Transporters.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the major complex mechanism that causes the failure of chemotherapy, especially with drugs of natural origin such as doxorubicin (DOX). Intracellular drug accumulation and detoxification are also involved in cancer resistance by reducing the susceptibility of cancer cells to death. This research aims to identify the volatile composition of Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass; LG) essential oil and compare the ability of LG and its major compound, citral, to modulate MDR in resistant cell lines. The composition of LG essential oil was identified using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition, a comparison of the modulatory effects of LG and citral, performed on breast (MCF-7/ADR), hepatic (HepG-2/ADR), and ovarian (SKOV-3/ADR) MDR cell lines, were compared to their parent sensitive cells using the MTT assay, ABC transporter function assays, and RT-PCR. Oxygenated monoterpenes (53.69%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (19.19%), and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (13.79%) made up the yield of LG essential oil. α-citral (18.50%), ß-citral (10.15%), geranyl acetate (9.65%), ylangene (5.70), δ-elemene (5.38%), and eugenol (4.77) represent the major constituents of LG oil. LG and citral (20 µg/mL) synergistically increased DOX cytotoxicity and lowered DOX dosage by >3-fold and >1.5-fold, respectively. These combinations showed synergism in the isobologram and CI < 1. DOX accumulation or reversal experiment confirmed that LG and citral modulated the efflux pump function. Both substances significantly increased DOX accumulation in resistant cells compared to untreated cells and verapamil (the positive control). RT-PCR confirmed that LG and citral targeted metabolic molecules in resistant cells and significantly downregulated PXR, CYP3A4, GST, MDR1, MRP1, and PCRP genes. Our results suggest a novel dietary and therapeutic strategy combining LG and citral with DOX to overcome multidrug resistance in cancer cells. However, these results should be confirmed by additional animal experiments before being used in human clinical trials.

Chemical Composition of Essential Oil of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng from Burkina Faso, and Effects against Prostate and Cervical Cancer Cell Lines.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the essential oil of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. (C. schoenanthus) from Burkina Faso in terms of cytotoxic activity against LNCaP cells, derived from prostate cancer, and HeLa cells, derived from cervical cancer. Antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro. Essential oil (EO) was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Thirty-seven compounds were identified, the major compounds being piperitone (49.9%), δ-2-carene (24.02%), elemol (5.79%) and limonene (4.31%). EO exhibited a poor antioxidant activity, as shown by the inhibition of DPPH radicals (IC50 = 1730 ± 80 µg/mL) and ABTS+. (IC50 = 2890 ± 26.9 µg/mL). Conversely, EO decreased the proliferation of LNCaP and HeLa cells with respective IC50 values of 135.53 ± 5.27 µg/mL and 146.17 ± 11 µg/mL. EO also prevented LNCaP cell migration and led to the arrest of their cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Altogether, this work points out for the first time that EO of C. schoenanthus from Burkina Faso could be an effective natural anticancer agent.

Qualitative and Quantitative Comparison of Aromatic Oil Components and Antifungal Effects of Cymbopogon flexuosus Obtained with Supercritical CO2, Microwave-Ultrasonic, Steam Distillation, and Hydrodistillation Extraction Techniques.

Cymbopogon flexuosus is a highly valued botanical species with significant applications in the food and food supplement industries, medicine, and cosmetics. The effects of four extraction techniques, supercritical CO2, microwave-ultrasonic, steam distillation, and hydrodistillation techniques, on the yield, phytochemical constituents, and antifungal activity against nine fungal species of Cymbopogon flexuosus aromatic oil (AO) were explored in this investigation. Gas chromatography connected with a mass spectrometry apparatus was employed for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of the investigated plant AOs. In addition, using the broth microdilution method, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were calculated for several fungi species. The supercritical CO2 method gave the highest yield of AO (11.62 ± 0.03 (w/w)) followed by the microwave-ultrasonic method (1.55 ± 0.05% (w/w)) and the steam distillation method (1.24 ± 0.04% (w/w)), while the hydrodistillation methods gave the lowest yield (1.17 ± 0.01 (w/w)). In addition, eighteen molecules were specified in the AOs obtained with the supercritical CO2, microwave-ultrasonic, steam distillation, and hydrodistillation techniques, which constituted 99.36, 98.6, 98.21, and 98.31% (v/v) of the total oils, respectively. Additionally, linalyl acetate was the trending molecule in the microwave-ultrasonic and steam distillation methods, representing 24.61 and 24.34% (v/v), respectively, while geranial was the dominant molecule in the AOs extracted with the hydrodistillation and supercritical CO2 extraction techniques (27.01 and 25.6% (v/v), respectively). The antifungal screening results revealed that the tested C. flexuosus AOs have potential antifungal effects against all the screened fungi species. The antifungal effect of the AOs extracted with the steam distillation and microwave-ultrasonic methods was remarkable compared with that of the commercial antifungal drug Fluconazole. However, the AOs extracted with these two methods have a more potent antifungal effect against Candida parapsilosis than that of Fluconazole with MICs of 3.13 ± 0.01, 3.13 ± 0.01, and 6.25 ± 0.91 µg/mL, respectively. The same effects were also observed against Trichophyton rubrum with MICs of 6.25 ± 0.91 µg/mL, respectively. The results of this investigation demonstrated that the steam distillation and microwave-ultrasonic methods are promising processes for the extraction of C. flexuosus AO with a potent antifungal effect. This may be an advantage for the utilization of C. flexuosus AO over some antifungal synthetic agents commonly utilized as medicines, preservatives, food additives, cosmetics, and nutrient supplements.