title: Phytochemical profile of three Ballota species essential oils and evaluation of the effects on human cancer cells.
abstract: Three Ballota species, Ballota undulata, Ballota saxatilis and Ballota nigra ssp. foetida, were investigated for their cytotoxicity against two human cancer cells, hepatoma HepG2 cell line and breast cancer MCF-7 cell line, and for their antioxidant activity. The chemical composition of essential oils was studied by GC and GC-MS. Sesquiterpenes were the main constituents. The most antiproliferative essential oil against HepG2 cells was B. undulata with a percentage of inhibition of 81.36 ± 3.54 at a concentration of 100 μg/mL, while against MCF-7 cells essential oil from B. saxatilis was the most active with a percentage of inhibition of 24.18 ± 1.13 at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. The antioxidant activity was investigated by DPPH test for all the oils. B. undulata showed the highest antiradical effect, with IC50value of 529.7 ± 37.4 μg/mL.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacy , University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rigano
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences , University of Calabria , Rende (CS) , Italy.
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marrelli
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacy , University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Formisano
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences , University of Calabria , Rende (CS) , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Menichini
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacy , University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Senatore
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Technologies and Sciences (STEBICEF) , University of Palermo , Palermo , Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences , University of Calabria , Rende (CS) , Italy.
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conforti
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D031329:Ballota / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D000975:Antioxidants; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D012717:Sesquiterpenes
keywords: Ballota species; antiproliferative activity; breast cancer; essential oil; hepatoma; sesquiterpenes