Assessment of antioxidant, antitumor and pro-apoptotic effects of Salvia fruticosa Mill. subsp. thomasii (Lacaita) Brullo, Guglielmo, Pavone & Terrasi (Lamiaceae)

Food Chem Toxicol. 2017 Aug;106(Pt A):155-164. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2017.05.040. Epub 2017 May 25.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro antioxidant and antitumor effects of Salvia fruticosa Mill subsp. thomasii (Lacaita) Brullo, Guglielmo, Pavone & Terrasi (Lamiaceae). The aerial parts were extracted by maceration with methanol. This extract was partitioned with methanol and n-hexane. Luteolin, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, rutin and salvigenin were isolated from the methanol-soluble fraction. n-Hexane fraction showed viridiflorol, β-pinene, 1,8-cineole, as main components. The methanol-soluble fraction exerted antitumor activity against human breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and human colorectal carcinoma (RKO and Caco-2) cells. TUNEL test revealed that S. fruticosa subsp. thomasii leads to cells death by apoptosis, with low cytotoxic effects on non-tumoral 3T3-L1 cells. Moreover, it exerted the highest protection of lipid peroxidation and reduced the oxidative stress induced by menadione treatment in 3T3-L1 murine fibroblasts. S. fruticosa subsp. thomasii bioactivity could promote its use not only as food but also in nutraceutical/pharmaceutical industries.

Keywords: Antioxidant; Antitumor; Apoptosis; Salvia fruticosa Mill subsp. thomasii.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / isolation & purification
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
  • Antioxidants / chemistry
  • Antioxidants / isolation & purification
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Humans
  • Plant Components, Aerial / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Salvia / chemistry*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Antioxidants
  • Plant Extracts