Antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity of essential oil and hydroalcoholic extract from Lippia gracilis Schauer.
The Caatinga is rich in a flora well adapted to its predominant climate, the semi-arid. Some plants characteristic of this climate has already been studied due to their medicinal properties. Within this context, we highlight the Lippia gracilis, known as alecrim-da-chapada of the Verbenaceae family, usually used for the treatment of throat and stomach disorders, through its oils and extracts. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative activity of the use of the essential oil and hydroalcoholic extract of L. gracilis in the gastric adenocarcinoma cell line (AGS) in celula. For this, cell viability evaluation was performed by means of MTT reduction, clonogenic assay and flow cytometry, as well as the analysis of the chemical components present in the essential oil through gas chromatography associated with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The major components of the phytochemical analysis of the essential oil were carvacrol (51.44%) followed by thymol (15.61%), monoterpenes that proved to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial action. Cell viability was assessed at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h at concentrations of 125, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 μg/mL for reduction of MTT in both AGS and normal murine fibroblast (3T3) cell lines. Similar cell death for AGS was observed in 48 h and 72 h and different in 24 h, both in oil and extract; 3T3 presented cell death only at the concentration of 1000 μg/mL in the period of 24 h, whereas in the periods of 48 h and 72 h the percentage of death was similar between periods from the concentration of 500 μg/mL. The clonogenic assay (1 x 102 cells/well) was given over a period of 10 days at concentrations of 125 to 500 μg/mL, showing results of 100% reduction of tumor cell proliferation. The flow cytometry was performed using the 48 h period and 500 μg/mL concentration, revealing 0.12% cell viability using the extract and 1.09% using the oil, whereas the negative control presented 98%. These results reveal a high anti-proliferative potential when compared to the control, induction of apoptosis and possible anticarcinogenic activity of the oil and extract of L. gracilis, besides antioxidant and cytotoxic activity. In view of this, plant extracts and essential oils of L. gracilis showed an important anticarcinogenic effect, suggesting new experimental stages for validation of these compounds in the alternative therapy to the affections of gastric tissue, if they are validated as phytopharmaceuticals.