In Vitro Inhibition of MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells by Essential Oils of Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus vulgaris L., and Lavender x intermedia

Background: The essential oils of traditional medicinal plants, includingRosmarinus officinalis, Thymus vulgaris L., and Lavender x intermedia containanticancer compounds such as lavandulyl acetate, rosmarinic acid and thymol. Theaim of this study was to investigate the anticancer effects of the essential oils of R.officinalis, T. vulgaris L., and L. x intermedia on MCF-7 cells. Methods: Essential oils were prepared from R. officinalis, T. vulgaris L., and L.x intermedia plants. Then, MCF-7 and Hu02 cells were treated with differentconcentrations of these essential oils for a given time. The 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine thecellular viability and cytotoxicity in response to treatment with different extractconcentrations. The morphological changes were studied by Hoechst andpropidium iodide staining. The results were analyzed using the one-way ANOVAand Tukey test. Results: All three essential oils inhibited the viability of the MCF-7 cell line ina dose-dependent manner. T. vulgaris L. was more potent against MCF-7 cells at400 μg/ml concentration (IC = 48.01 ± 0.94), while R. officinalis was moderate at 50800 μg/ml concentration (IC = 47.39±0.91) and the concentration for L. x 50intermedia was 400 μg/ml (IC = 47.39 ± 0.91). Conclusion: R. officinalis, T. vulgaris L. and L. x intermedia show cytotoxicactivity against breast cancer in vitro. T. vulgaris represents a potentially selectivecytostatic factor and a safe target for future development of anticancer agents.

In Vitro Inhibition of MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells by Essential Oils of Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus vulgaris L., and Lavender x intermedia Keywords:

Breast cancer , Rosmarinus officinalis , Thymus vulgaris L. , Lavender x intermedia