Work

Evaluation of Cedrus atlantica Essential Oil: Chemical Composition, Anticancer Activity and Molecular Docking Studies

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: EO (CAEO) and its PEG-400 and Tween 20 formulations. The gas-chromatography (GC) analysis revealed a sesquiterpene-rich profile, with β-himachalene (39.32%) as the major constituent, followed by α-Himachalene (16.76%) and γ-Himachalene (12.92%). The cytotoxicity studies, performed using Alamar Blue assay on normal HaCaT human keratinocytes and A375 human melanoma and HT-29 colorectal carcinoma cell lines, revealed that CAEO displayed minimal toxicity on HaCaT cells, while significantly reducing A735 and HT-29 cell viability, at any of the concentrations tested. The PEG- and Tween-based formulations of CAEO exhibited the same effect on cell viability as the simple water dispersion of CAEO. The immunofluorescence-based examination of cellular morphology suggested that CAEO induces apoptosis in both cancer cell lines: A375 and HT-29; this apoptosis-related mechanism was further supported by the caspase-3/7 assay, which revealed a significant increase in caspase-3/7 activity after CAEO treatment. To further investigate the underlying mechanism, the JC-1 staining and high-resolution respirometry assays demonstrated that CAEO induces mitochondrial membrane depolarization and reduced mitochondrial active respiration (OXPHOS). Molecular docking further indicated that isoledene and β-himachalene exhibit the highest predicted affinity for PI3Kγ, suggesting a potential involvement of PI3K-related signaling in the pro-apoptotic activity of CAEO. Together, these results suggest that CAEO induces apoptosis through a mitochondria-mediated mechanism.

Source: Molecules

DOI: 10.3390/molecules31010046