Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Properties of Natural Bioactive Monoterpenes Nerol, Estragole, and 3,7-Dimethyl-1-Octanol

Mayara Ladeira Coêlho; Muhammad Torequl Islam; George Laylson da Silva Oliveira; Marcus Vinicius Oliveira Barros de Alencar; José Victor de Oliveira Santos; Antonielly Campinho Dos Reis; Ana Maria Oliveira Ferreira da Mata; Márcia Fernanda Correia Jardim Paz; Anca Oana Docea; Daniela Calina; Javad Sharifi-Rad; Ana Amélia de Carvalho Melo-Cavalcante

doi:10.1155/2022/8002766

Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Properties of Natural Bioactive Monoterpenes Nerol, Estragole, and 3,7-Dimethyl-1-Octanol

Adv Pharmacol Pharm Sci. 2022 Nov 23:2022:8002766. doi: 10.1155/2022/8002766. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Mayara Ladeira Coêlho^{1

2}, Muhammad Torequl Islam³, George Laylson da Silva Oliveira^{1

2}, Marcus Vinicius Oliveira Barros de Alencar^{1

2}, José Victor de Oliveira Santos², Antonielly Campinho Dos Reis⁴, Ana Maria Oliveira Ferreira da Mata², Márcia Fernanda Correia Jardim Paz^{1

2}, Anca Oana Docea⁵, Daniela Calina⁶, Javad Sharifi-Rad⁷, Ana Amélia de Carvalho Melo-Cavalcante^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO), Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil.
² Post-Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Science, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil.
³ Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj 8100, Bangladesh.
⁴ Integral Diferencial College (FACID-DEVRY), Teresina, Piaui, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
⁶ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
⁷ Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador, Iran.

Abstract

The therapeutic potential of medicinal plants is noted because of the presence of varieties of biochemicals. The monoterpenes, like nerol, estragole, and 3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol, have been reported for antimicrobial, antifungal, anthelmintic, and antioxidant activities. This study evaluated the toxic, cytotoxic, and oxidant/antioxidant effects of these compounds by several in vitro (DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging, and ferric reducing potential), ex vivo (hemolysis), and in vivo (Artemia Salina and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) assays. Results suggest that estragole and 3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol at 31.25-500 μg/mL did not exhibit significant cytotoxic effects in the A. Salina and hemolysis tests. Nerol showed significant cytotoxic effects on these test systems at all test concentrations. The monoterpenes showed radical (ABTS^•+ and DPPH^•) scavenging capacities in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro tests. However, they did not oxidize the genetic material of S. cerevisiae (SODWT, Sod1Δ, Sod2Δ, Sod1/Sod2Δ, Cat1Δ, and Cat1Δ/Sod1Δ) lines. Among the three monoterpenes, nerol may be a good candidate for antioxidant and anti-tumor therapies.