Effectiveness of Juniper Essential Oils in Reducing Selected Cigarette Smoke Toxicants, Improving Oxidative Parameters, and Cytotoxicity Against Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Abstract

Tobacco smoke contains toxic chemical substances that mediate the generation of reactive oxygen species and lung cancer. This study investigates the potential of essential oils (EOs) from Juniperus oxycedrus (JOX) and Juniperus phoenicea L. (JPH) in reducing the harmful effects of cigarette smoke. The EO of JOX (JOX-EO) and JPH (JPH-EO) showed good inhibition of nicotine, with IC₅₀ values of 16.78 ± 1.04 μg/mL and 18.40 ± 0.46 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, JOX-EO had the greatest percentage reduction of basic tar (64.45%), followed by neutral tar (53.23%), and acidic tar (25.15%). Furthermore, the evaluated JOX-EO demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In vivo experiments on rats chronically exposed to cigarette smoke reveal promising results regarding oxidative stress markers. The administration of JOX-EO at 200 mg/kg for 15 days postsmoking cessation shows significant improvements in hematological variables (red blood cells [RBC], platelets [PLT], hemoglobin [HB], hematocrit [HCT], and mean corpuscular volume [MCV]). The oxidative stress markers, including glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT), were significantly reduced, indicating powerful antioxidant potential. The EOs exhibited concentration-dependent percentage inhibition of human lung carcinoma (A549) cell viability, with IC₅₀ values indicating greater potential than etoposide, the standard used for comparison. Both EOs demonstrate the capacity to mitigate the lingering effects of smoking, such as oxidative stress and lung cancer, providing reassurance and comfort to those affected.