Tagetes minuta essential oil reduced oxidative stress via reduction of NADH oxidase and nitric oxide synthase expression

The antioxidant capacity of Tagetes minuta (Asteraceae) essential oil was determined through measuring NADH oxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophages using quantitative PCR. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis indicated that the main components in the T. minuta essential oil were dihydrotagetone (33.86%), E-ocimene (19.92%), tagetone (16.15%), cis-β-ocimene (7.94%), Z-ocimene (5.27%), limonene (3.1%) and epoxyocimene (2.03%). T. minuta essential oil significantly reduced NADH oxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA expression in the cells at concentrations of 50 μg/mL. T. minuta essential oil could potentially be used as a safe effective source of natural anti-oxidants in therapy against oxidative damage and stress associated with some inflammatory conditions.

Keywords:

Tagetes minuta , oxidative stress , antioxidant