Insights on Juniperus phoenicea Essential Oil as Potential Anti-Proliferative, Anti-Tyrosinase, and Antioxidant Candidate

Rim Ben Mansour; Hanen Wasli; Soumaya Bourgou; Saber Khamessi; Riadh Ksouri; Wided Megdiche-Ksouri; Susana M Cardoso

doi:10.3390/molecules28227547

Insights on Juniperus phoenicea Essential Oil as Potential Anti-Proliferative, Anti-Tyrosinase, and Antioxidant Candidate

Molecules. 2023 Nov 11;28(22):7547. doi: 10.3390/molecules28227547.

Authors

Rim Ben Mansour¹, Hanen Wasli^{1

2

3}, Soumaya Bourgou¹, Saber Khamessi¹, Riadh Ksouri¹, Wided Megdiche-Ksouri¹, Susana M Cardoso⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Center of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
² Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia.
³ Department of Education and Teaching, Higher Institute of Applied Studies in Humanities of Tozeur, Campus University, University of Gafsa, Gafsa 2100, Tunisia.
⁴ LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.

Abstract

In this study, the anti-cancer, anti-tyrosinase, and antioxidant activities of essential oils (EOs) of berries and leaves of Juniperus phoenicea grown wild in North of Tunisia were investigated. The EO yields from leaves and berries were 1.69% and 0.45%, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed that α-pinene is the predominant component in both EOs (44.17 and 83.56%, respectively). Leaves essential oil presented high levels of β-phellandrene (18%) and camphene (15%). The EOs displayed cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cell, HT-29 colon cancer, and the normal cells H9C2 cardiomyoblasts. Leaves oil strongly inhibited colon cell line proliferation (IC₅₀ of 38 µg/mL), while berries essential oil was more potent against breast cancerous cells MCF-7 (IC₅₀ of 60 µg/mL). Interestingly, berries essential oil exhibited high ability to inhibit melanin synthesis by inhibiting enzyme mono and diphenolase activities. Overall, the results suggested that the two oils are significant sources of healthy natural chemicals.

Keywords: GC-MS; Juniperus phoenicea; North Tunisia; anti-tyrosinase; anticancer; essential oil.

MeSH terms

Antioxidants / analysis
Antioxidants / pharmacology
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Juniperus*
Monophenol Monooxygenase
Oils, Volatile* / pharmacology

Substances

Oils, Volatile
Antioxidants
Monophenol Monooxygenase

Grants and funding

Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (No. LR19CBBC06); University of Aveiro and FCT/MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Ministério da Ciência, da Tecnologia e do Ensino Superior) for financial support to LAQV-REQUIMTE (Ref. UIDB/50006/2020) through national founds and, where applicable, co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. FCT for Funding S.M.C. labor contract under the Scientific Employment Stimulus—Institutional Call.