Chemical composition, anticholinesterase activity and cytotoxicity of the essential oil of Luvunga scandens (Roxb.) Wight from Malaysia.

Abstract

Luvunga scandens (Roxb.) Wight is identified as one of the vital folk medicinal plants in Malaysia. Despite its traditional use, the essential oil composition and bioactivities of L. scandens remain largely unexplored. This study investigates the essential oil composition, anticholinesterase activity, and cytotoxicity of L. scandens leaves. After the essential oil was extracted using hydrodistillation, GC-FID and GC-MS were used for analysis, identifying 35 components, representing 93.8 % of the total oil. The major components included germacrene D (17.8 %), γ-elemene (15.6 %), β-gurjunene (10.8 %), α-cadinol (5.3 %), α-humulene (4.9 %), and alloaromadendrene (4.5 %). With IC₅₀ values of 78.5 and 95.2 μg/mL, the essential oil showed moderate inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The cytotoxicity was evaluated using an MTT assay. The essential oil exhibited cytotoxicity against three cancer cell lines; HepG2, MCF7, and A549 with IC₅₀ values of 70.2, 52.8, and 65.5 μg/mL, respectively. These findings provide new insights into the potential therapeutic applications of L. scandens essential oil, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer therapy.