Chemical composition, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity of essential oils from two Luvunga species (L. scandens and L. hongiaoensis) from Vietnam

New essential oils (EOs) extracted from different parts of two Luvunga species (L. scandens and L. hongiaoensis) from Vietnam were investigated for their chemical composition, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity. Sixty-nine total compounds were identified in the EOs by GC/MS. The major constituent of the leaf, fruit, and root EOs from L. scandens was β-caryophyllene (71.5%, 63.0%, and 31.5% respectively). The main compounds in L. hongiaoensis EOs were β-elemene (34.3% in leaf oil) and caryophyllene oxide (21.2% in root oil, 19.4% in stem oil). The EO from L. scandens fruits significantly inhibited nitric oxide production on LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells (IC₅₀ = 37.95 ± 2.76 µg/mL). The EOs from L. hongiaoensis roots and L. scandens leaves and fruits exhibited cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, SK-LU-1, and HepG2 (IC₅₀ from 49.74 ± 3.36 to 97.82 ± 8.61 µg/mL). This is the first report on L. hongiaoensis EOs and significantly complements the composition and bioactivity of L. scandens EOs.