Abstract:
The aerial parts of Pituranthos tortuosus (Desf.) Benth and Hook (Apiaceae), growing
wild in Egypt, yielded 0.8%, 0.6%, and 1.5% (v/w) of essential oil when prepared by hydrodistillation
(HD), simultaneous hydrodistillation-solvent (n-pentane) extraction (Lickens-
Nickerson, DE), and conventional volatile solvent extraction (preparation of the “absolute”,
SE), respectively. GC-MS analysis showed that the major components in the HD sample
were β-myrcene (18.81%), sabinene (18.49%), trans-iso-elemicin (12.90%), and terpinen-
4-ol (8.09%); those predominent in the DE sample were terpinen-4-ol (29.65%), sabinene
(7.38%), γ-terpinene (7.27%), and β-myrcene (5.53%); while the prominent ones in the SE
sample were terpinen-4-ol (15.40%), dill apiol (7.90%), and allo-ocimene (4E,6Z) (6.00%).
The oil prepared in each case was tested for its cytotoxic activity on three human cancer cell
lines, i.e. liver cancer cell line (HEPG2), colon cancer cell line (HCT116), and breast cancer
cell line (MCF7). The DE sample showed the most potent activity against the three human
cancer cell lines (with IC50 values of 1.67, 1.34, and 3.38 μg/ml against the liver, colon, and
breast cancer cell lines, respectively). Terpinen-4-ol, sabinene, γ-terpinene, and β-myrcene
were isolated from the DE sample and subjected to a similar evaluation of cytotoxic potency;
signifi cant activity was observed.
