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Objectives Our interest continues in discovering phytocomplexes from medicinal plants with phototoxic activity against human melanoma cells; thus the aim of the present study was to assess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and phototoxic activity of Hypericum perforatum L. subsp. perforatum, and relate these properties to the plant's chemical composition. Materials and methods Components of H. perforatum subsp. perforatum were extracted by hydroalcoholic solution and chemical profiles of preparations (Hy TE-3) performed by HPTLC. Linoleic acid peroxidation and DPPH tests were used to assess antioxidant activity, while MTT assay allowed evaluation of anti-proliferative activity with respect to A375 human melanoma cells after irradiation with UVA dose, 1.8 J/cm2. Inhibition of nitric oxide production of macrophages was also investigated. Results Hy TE-3 indicated better antioxidant activity with β-carotene bleaching test in comparison to DPPH assay ( IC50 = 0.89 μg/ml); significant phototoxicity in A375 cells at 78 μg/ml concentration resulted in cell destruction of 50%. Hy TE-3 caused significant dose-related inhibition of nitric oxide production in murine monocytic macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 with IC50 value of 342 μg/ml. Conclusions The H. perforatum subsp. perforatum-derived product was able to suppress proliferation of human malignant melanoma A375 cells; extract together with UVA irradiation enhanced phototoxicity. This biological activity of antioxidant effects was combined with inhibition of nitric oxide production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate cytotoxic activity of Platycladus orientalis, Prangos asperula and Cupressus sempervirens ssp. pyramidalis essential oils and to identify active components involved in inhibition of population growth of human cancer cell lines. Materials and methods: Essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and were analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Antiproliferative activity was tested on amelanotic melanoma C32 cells and on renal cell adenocarcinoma cells, using the sulphorhodamine B assay. Results: Cupressus sempervirens ssp. pyramidalis leaf oil exerted the highest cytotoxic activity with an IC50 value of 104.90 µg/mL against C32, followed by activity of P. orientalis and P. asperula on the renal adenocarcinoma cell line (IC50 of 121.93 and 139.17 µg/mL, respectively). P. orientalis essential oil was also active against amelanotic melanoma with an IC50 of 330.04 µg/mL. Three identified terpenes, linalool, β-caryophyllene and α-cedrol, were found to be active on both cell lines tested. Conclusions: Our findings provide novel insights into the field of cytotoxic properties of essential oils. This study provided evidence on how cytotoxic activity of the oils is not always related to their major constituents, except for lower activity found in both cell lines for α-cedrol. Interestingly, β-caryophyllene and linalool exhibited comparable IC50 values to the commercial drug vinblastine on the ACHN cell line. This opens a new field of investigation to discover mechanisms responsible for the observed activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of extracts from Senecio samnitum Huet are reported. Extracts from S. samnitum were able to inhibit the in vitro proliferation of four human tumor cell lines. The dichloromethane extract demonstrated effective cytotoxic activity with IC50 of 22.89  µg  mL -1 on the Caco-2 cell line and the EtOAc extract had IC50 value of 11.91  µg  mL -1 against the COR-L23 cell line. The n -hexane extract displayed the best antibacterial activity against Gram positive bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus . The antifungal activity of all extracts was also seen, particularly against the dermatophytes Trichophyton tonsurans and Microsporum gypseum for the methanol and n -hexane extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]