Chemical composition and antiproliferative activity of the essential oil of Galagania fragrantissima Lipsky (Apiaceae)

Abstract

Galagania fragrantissima Lypsky (Apiaceae) is native to central Asia and is used as a spice for soups and other dishes. The plant has not been previously examined phytochemically. The aim of this research was to characterize the essential oil of this plant, which has a pleasant spicy odor, and to examine the potential cytotoxic activity of the oil. The aerial parts of G. fragrantissima were collected from the Yovon region of Tajikistan. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The in-vitro cytotoxicity of the oil was determined on three different human tumor cell lines using the MTT method. Nine different compounds were identified in the oil accounting for 98.8% of the composition. G. fragrantissima oil was rich in unsaturated aldehydes, with (2E)-dodecenal (83.6%) dominating. The essential oil showed cytotoxic activity against HeLa, Caco-2, and MCF-7 tumor cell lines with IC50 values of 0.206, 0.074, and 0.058 mg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxicity of G. fragrantissima oil is most likely due to the major component, (2E)-dodecenal, which can react with a variety of nucleophiles, either from proteins or DNA.