title: Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Properties of the Essential Oils of Satureja thymbra and Satureja parnassica and their Major Constituents.
abstract: The biopotential of the essential oils of the Greek aromatic plants Satureja thymbra and Satureja parnassica were investigated, together with their major components carvacrol, thymol, γ-terpinene and p-cymene.
  
  
  
  Antioxidant and cancer cell cytotoxic properties were determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and sulforhodamine B assays, respectively. The antiproliferative potential was studied against the MCF-7, A549, HepG2 and Hep3B cell lines.
  
  
  
  S. thymbra oil possessed stronger antioxidant and antiproliferative capacity when tested on MCF-7 cells compared to S. parnassica oil. Thymol exhibited two-fold greater antioxidant potency than carvacrol, whereas γ-terpinene and p-cymene had no significant effect. Carvacrol was the most potent antiproliferative agent against A549 cells, while Hep3B cells were most sensitive to thymol. p-Cymene and γ-terpinene demonstrated negligible bioactivity.
  
  
  
  S. thymbra and S. parnassica essential oils exhibit significant but diverse antioxidant and antiproliferative activities, mainly attributed to their main components, carvacrol and thymol.
authors: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors: Eleni
authors: E
authors: Fitsiou
authors: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors: Ioannis
authors: I
authors: Anestopoulos
authors: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors: Katerina
authors: K
authors: Chlichlia
authors: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Galanis
authors: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors: Ioannis
authors: I
authors: Kourkoutas
authors: School of Life Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
authors: Mihalis I
authors: MI
authors: Panayiotidis
authors: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece apappa@mbg.duth.gr.
authors: Aglaia
authors: A
authors: Pappa
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031362:Satureja / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D009822:Oils, Volatile
keywords: Satureja parnassica; Satureja thymbra; antioxidant; antiproliferative; essential oil