Essential Oils of Polyalthia suberosa Leaf and Twig and Their Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Activities

Chem Biodivers. 2021 May;18(5):e2100020. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202100020. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Abstract

Essential oils from the leaf and twig of Polyalthia suberosa (Roxb.) Thwaites were analyzed using GC/MS/FID. A total of sixty-three constituents were namely identified accounting for 96.03 and 94.12 % in the hydrodistilled oils of the leaf and twig, respectively. Monoterpenes, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenes, and sesquiterpenoids were characteristic derivatives of P. suberosa essential oils. Sesquiterpenes bicyclogermacrene (26.26 %) and (E)-caryophyllene (7.79 %), and monoterpene β-pinene (12.71 %) were the major constituents of the leaf oil. Sesquiterpenes (E)-caryophyllene (17.17 %) and α-humulene (9.55 %), sesquiterpenoid caryophyllene oxide (9.41 %), and monoterpenes camphene (8.16 %) and tricyclene (6.35 %) were to be main components in the twig oil. The leaf oil indicated cytotoxic activity against three cancer cell lines HepG2, MCF7 and A549 with the IC50 values of 60.96-69.93 μg/mL, while the twig oil inhibited MCF7 with the IC50 value of 66.70 μg/mL. Additionally, the twig oil successfully suppressed the growth of the negative Gram bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, fungus Aspergillus niger, and yeast Candida albicans with the same MIC value of 50 μg/mL, whereas the leaf oil had the same result on the negative Gram bacterium Escherichia coli.

Keywords: Polyalthia suberosa; antimicrobial activity; cytotoxicity; essential oils.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / isolation & purification
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antifungal Agents / chemistry
  • Antifungal Agents / isolation & purification
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / isolation & purification
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Aspergillus niger / drug effects
  • Candida albicans / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Oils, Volatile / chemistry
  • Oils, Volatile / isolation & purification
  • Oils, Volatile / pharmacology*
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Plant Stems / chemistry
  • Polyalthia / chemistry*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Oils, Volatile