Chemical composition, anticholinesterase activity and cytotoxicity of the essential oil of Luvunga scandens (Roxb.) Wight from Malaysia
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Abubakar Siddiq Salihu
,
Wan Mohd Nuzul Hakimi Wan Salleh
,
Nurunajah Ab Ghani
,
Arwa R. Althaher
Abstract
Luvunga scandens (Roxb.) Wight is identified as one of the vital folk medicinal plants in Malaysia. Despite its traditional use, the essential oil composition and bioactivities of L. scandens remain largely unexplored. This study investigates the essential oil composition, anticholinesterase activity, and cytotoxicity of L. scandens leaves. After the essential oil was extracted using hydrodistillation, GC-FID and GC-MS were used for analysis, identifying 35 components, representing 93.8 % of the total oil. The major components included germacrene D (17.8 %), γ-elemene (15.6 %), β-gurjunene (10.8 %), α-cadinol (5.3 %), α-humulene (4.9 %), and alloaromadendrene (4.5 %). With IC50 values of 78.5 and 95.2 μg/mL, the essential oil showed moderate inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The cytotoxicity was evaluated using an MTT assay. The essential oil exhibited cytotoxicity against three cancer cell lines; HepG2, MCF7, and A549 with IC50 values of 70.2, 52.8, and 65.5 μg/mL, respectively. These findings provide new insights into the potential therapeutic applications of L. scandens essential oil, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer therapy.
Funding source: Fakulti Sains Gunaan, Universiti Teknologi MARA
Award Identifier / Grant number: This work was supported by the Universiti Teknolog
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Universiti Teknologi MARA, UiTM Cawangan Selangor under DUCS CoE Grant 600 UITMSEL (PI 5/4) (035/2022).
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
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Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
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Research funding: This study was funded by Universiti Teknologi MARA.
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Data availability: Not applicable.
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