Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Essential Oils from the Pericarp of Zanthoxylum rhetsa
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Abstract
Makhwaen (Zanthoxylum rhetsa) is a Thai indigenous medicinal plant widely used in traditional practices. However, scientific information on essential oils derived from the fruit pericarp in western Thailand remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the chemical composition of essential oil extracted from the fruit pericarp of Z. rhetsa collected from Nong Ya Plong District, Phetchaburi Province, evaluate its antioxidant activity, investigate its anticancer effects against human colorectal cancer (HT-29) and liver cancer (HepG2) cell lines, and assess its safety toward normal cells. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation, and its chemical composition was analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Antioxidant activity was determined using the DPPH radical scavenging assay, while cytotoxicity was evaluated using the MTT assay. The results showed that the essential oil yield was 1.42% (w/w), and a total of 25 compounds were identified. The major constituents were sabinene (42.45±1.21%) and terpinen-4-ol (12.76±0.14%), indicating a sabinene-dominant chemotype, which differs from reports in other regions of Thailand. This finding highlights the influence of geographical factors on secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The essential oil exhibited moderate antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 36.23±1.47 mg/mL. It also demonstrated dose-dependent inhibitory effects on HT-29 (IC50= 147.80±1.33 µg/mL) and HepG2 cells (IC50 = 125.58 ±1.64 µg/mL), with HepG2 cells being more sensitive. Notably, no cytotoxicity was observed against normal fibroblast cells within the tested concentration range (6.25-200 µg/mL). These findings suggest that the essential oil from the fruit pericarp of Z. rhetsa is a promising source of bioactive terpenes with antioxidant and anticancer properties, along with preliminary safety toward normal cells. This study supports the scientific utilization of Thai indigenous medicinal plants and their potential development into sustainable health-related products.
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บทความ ข้อมูล เนื้อหา รูปภาพ ฯลฯ ที่ได้รับการเผยแพร่ในวารสารวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี มรย. นี้ ถือเป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของวารสารวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี มรย. หากบุคคลหรือหน่วยงานใดต้องการนำทั้งหมดหรือส่วนหนึ่งส่วนใดไปเผยแพร่ต่อหรือกระทำการใดๆ จะต้องได้รับอนุญาตเป็นลายลักษณ์อักษรจากวารสารวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี มรย. ก่อนเท่านั้น
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