article · Life
Breast cancer development and progression are closely linked to oxidative stress triggered by reactive oxygen species. This research examines the chemical composition and therapeutic potential of essential oil extracted from Ptychotis verticillata, a medicinal plant native to Morocco. The essential oil was extracted using hydro-distillation and analysed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which identified several aromatic and terpene compounds, with carvacrol emerging as the most dominant component. Laboratory assessments demonstrated that the oil possesses clear antioxidant properties across multiple standard tests, including DPPH scavenging, total antioxidant capacity, and beta-carotene bleaching assays. Furthermore, the essential oil displayed cytotoxic effects against two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, exhibiting higher selectivity toward the MDA-MB-231 line. These findings suggest the plant extract may offer therapeutic value as a natural candidate for breast cancer treatment.
Breast cancer remains a major global health challenge, and oxidative stress plays an active role in driving malignant cell growth. Identifying effective therapeutic compounds from traditional medicinal plants offers potential avenues for developing alternative cancer therapies that combine antioxidant capacity with targeted cytotoxicity against specific cancer cell lines.
This research is at an early laboratory stage, focusing on in vitro chemical characterisation and cell line testing. The findings could eventually interest pharmaceutical developers and oncology researchers seeking plant-derived therapeutic leads for breast cancer treatments. However, substantial preclinical testing, formulation development, and clinical evaluation would be required before any practical pharmaceutical application can emerge.
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Breast cancer is a disease characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of malignant cells in breast tissue, and oxidative stress activated by an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is associated with its development and progression. Essential oils from medicinal plants, known for their antioxidant and therapeutic properties, are being explored as alternatives. Ptychotis verticillata, also known as Nûnkha, is a medicinal plant native to Morocco, belonging to the Apiaceae family, and used for generations in traditional medicine. This study focuses on the phytochemical characterization of P. verticillata essential oil (PVEO) from the province of Oujda, Morocco, for its therapeutic properties. The essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation, and its volatile components were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed the presence of various aromatic and terpene compounds, with carvacrol being the most abundant compound. PVEO showed antioxidant properties in several tests, including β-carotene bleaching, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). It also demonstrated cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, with higher selectivity for MDA-MB-231. The results reveal that Ptychotis verticillata essential oil (PVEO) could be a promising natural alternative for the treatment of breast cancer,
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DOI: 10.3390/life13071586
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