title: Antitumor activity of balsam fir oil: production of reactive oxygen species induced by alpha-humulene as possible mechanism of action.
abstract: The antitumor activity of the essential oil of Abies balsamea (balsam fir oil) was evaluated against several solid tumor cell lines including MCF-7, PC-3, A-549, DLD-1, M4BEU and CT-26. Balsam fir oil was found to be active against all the solid tumor cell lines tested, with GI 50 values ranging between 0.76 and 1.7 mg/mL. The oil was analyzed by GC-MS and the cytotoxicity of each oil constituent was determined. Balsam fir oil is essentially constituted of monoterpenes tau; 96 %) and some sesquiterpenes. All the compounds tested were inactive (tau; 250 microM) except for alpha-humulene (GI50 = 55 to 73 microM) which thus seems responsible for the cytotoxicity of the oil. We also tested the cytotoxicity of caryophyllene oxide, which proved inactive, and gamma-caryophyllene which was found to be active against all solid tumor cell lines tested. We evaluated the effects of balsam fir oil and alpha-humulene on the cellular glutathione (GSH) content and on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Balsam fir oil and alpha-humulene induced a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cellular GSH content and an increase in ROS production. These results suggest that GSH depletion and ROS production may be implicated in the cytotoxicity of alpha-humulene and balsam fir oil.
authors.affiliation: UMR-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Clermont-Ferrand, France. jean_legault@uqac.ca
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Legault
authors.forename: Wivecke
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Debiton
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pichette
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Madelmont
mesh_terms: D028202:Abies; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000081222:Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000081222:Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; D010938:Plant Oils; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C042686:humulene