GC/MS Profiling, In-Vitro Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Potential of the Essential Oil of Pulicaria Crispa (Forssk) Growing in Egypt

The essential oil EO obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Pulicaria crispa was profiled using GS/MS analysis. The oil was found to contain carvotanacetone as a major component (81.9%). Biological investigation revealed that the oil possessed EC100 value of12.8 µl/ml in the in-vitro cytotoxicity assay against peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCS). The oil showed no immune-stimulant activity. The antioxidant potential of the oil was assayed using DPPH radical inhibition resulting in inhibition percentage of 66.19% and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of 9.22µg/ml. The results indicate powerful antioxidant capacity of the oil, which makes it a good candidate to be used as a natural preservative or as a source of natural antioxidants to be incorporated in pharmaceutical applications. The cytotoxicity assay of the oil against colorectal“Caco-2” and hepatocellular “HepG-2” carcinoma cell lines showed IC50 values of 4.73 and 20.11 µl/ml, respectively. The obtained results spot the light on the colorectal anticancer potential of the oil, which should be subjected to future animal experimental study in form of enema.