ABSTRACT
The composition and in vitro antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanol extract of the aerial parts of Viola tianshanica were evaluated in this research. GC-MS analysis of the essential oil resulted in the identification of 15 constituents, representing 89.67% of the oil. The major compounds detected in the essential oil were dibutyl phthalate (15.19%), hexadecanoate methyl (8.65%), n-hexadecanoic acid (3.07%) and 2,3-pentanedione (2.62%). Essential oil and methanol extract were tested for their antioxidant activities using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl free radical scavenging and ß-carotene linoleic acid assay. In addition, the total phenol of essential oil, polar subfraction and non-polar subfraction were determined.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/isolation & purification , Free Radical Scavengers/isolation & purification , Oils, Volatile/isolation & purification , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Viola/chemistry , Antioxidants/analysis , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Biphenyl Compounds , China , Dibutyl Phthalate/isolation & purification , Free Radical Scavengers/analysis , Free Radical Scavengers/pharmacology , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , In Vitro Techniques , Methanol , Oils, Volatile/analysis , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Palmitates/isolation & purification , Pentanones/isolation & purification , Phenols/analysis , Picrates , Plant Extracts/analysis , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , beta CaroteneABSTRACT
Aesculetin (1) is an important coumarin found in various plant materials. It has been shown to have antiproliferative effects on several types of human cancer cells, but its effect on cervical cancer cells in vitro is unknown. In this study, we investigated that the cytotoxic effect of 1 on a non-cancer cell line (293) was smaller than on a tumor cell line (HeLa). This is the first report showing the possible mechanism of antiproliferative effect of 1 for the prevention of cervical cancer in cell culture models. It was found that 1 inhibited cell viability by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the accumulation of cells in the sub-G1 phase. Treatment with compound 1 decreased the cell growth in a dose-dependent manner with an IC(50) value of 37.8 microM. Aesculetin-induced apoptosis was correlated with mitochondrial dysfunction (DeltaPsi(m)), leading to the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytosol, as well as the proteolytic activation of caspases in HeLa cells. These results indicate that 1 induces apoptosis in HeLa cells through a ROS-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction pathway.
