Screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil

Background: Agarwood is a priceless non‑timber forest product from Aquilaria species belonging to the Thymelaeaceae family. As a result of a defence mechanism to fend off pathogens, Aquilaria species develop agarwood or resin which can be used for incense, perfumery, and traditional medicines. Ev...

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Main Authors: Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun, Phirdaous, Abbas, Amid, Azura
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/36940/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/36940/1/yUMI_PHIRDAOUS-UPhcogRes_2014_6_3_191_132593.pdf
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author Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun
Phirdaous, Abbas
Amid, Azura
author_facet Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun
Phirdaous, Abbas
Amid, Azura
author_sort Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun
building IIUM Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: Agarwood is a priceless non‑timber forest product from Aquilaria species belonging to the Thymelaeaceae family. As a result of a defence mechanism to fend off pathogens, Aquilaria species develop agarwood or resin which can be used for incense, perfumery, and traditional medicines. Evidences from ethnopharmacological practices showed that Aquilaria spp. have been traditionally used in the Ayurvedic practice and Chinese medicine to treat various diseases particularly the inflammatory‑associated diseases. There have been no reports on traditional use of agarwood towards cancer treatment. However, this is most probably due to the fact that cancer nomenclature is used in modern medicine to describe the diseases associated with unregulated cell growth in which inflammation and body pain are involved. Objective: The aim of this current study was therefore to investigate the potential anticancer properties of agarwood essential oil obtained from distillation of agarwood (resin) towards MCF‑7 breast cancer cells. Materials and Methods: The essential oil was subjected to screening assays namely cell viability, cell attachment and sulforhodamine B (SRB)‑based cytotoxicity assay to determine the IC50 value. Results: The agarwood essential oil caused reduction of the cell number in both the cell viability and attachment assay suggesting a cumulative effect of the cell killing, inhibition of the cell attachment and or causing cells to detach. The agarwood essential oil showed IC50 value of 900 μg/ml towards the cancer cells. Conclusion: The agarwood essential oil exhibited anticancer activity which supports the traditional use against the inflammatory‑associated diseases. This warrants further investigation towards the development of alternative remedy towards cancer.
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spelling iium-369402018-06-12T07:31:11Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/36940/ Screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun Phirdaous, Abbas Amid, Azura TP248.13 Biotechnology Background: Agarwood is a priceless non‑timber forest product from Aquilaria species belonging to the Thymelaeaceae family. As a result of a defence mechanism to fend off pathogens, Aquilaria species develop agarwood or resin which can be used for incense, perfumery, and traditional medicines. Evidences from ethnopharmacological practices showed that Aquilaria spp. have been traditionally used in the Ayurvedic practice and Chinese medicine to treat various diseases particularly the inflammatory‑associated diseases. There have been no reports on traditional use of agarwood towards cancer treatment. However, this is most probably due to the fact that cancer nomenclature is used in modern medicine to describe the diseases associated with unregulated cell growth in which inflammation and body pain are involved. Objective: The aim of this current study was therefore to investigate the potential anticancer properties of agarwood essential oil obtained from distillation of agarwood (resin) towards MCF‑7 breast cancer cells. Materials and Methods: The essential oil was subjected to screening assays namely cell viability, cell attachment and sulforhodamine B (SRB)‑based cytotoxicity assay to determine the IC50 value. Results: The agarwood essential oil caused reduction of the cell number in both the cell viability and attachment assay suggesting a cumulative effect of the cell killing, inhibition of the cell attachment and or causing cells to detach. The agarwood essential oil showed IC50 value of 900 μg/ml towards the cancer cells. Conclusion: The agarwood essential oil exhibited anticancer activity which supports the traditional use against the inflammatory‑associated diseases. This warrants further investigation towards the development of alternative remedy towards cancer. Wolters Kluwer 2014-05-16 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/36940/1/yUMI_PHIRDAOUS-UPhcogRes_2014_6_3_191_132593.pdf Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun and Phirdaous, Abbas and Amid, Azura (2014) Screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil. Pharmacognosy Research, 6 (3). pp. 191-194. ISSN 0974-8490 http://www.phcogres.com/article.asp?issn=0974-8490;year=2014;volume=6;issue=3;spage=191;epage=194;aulast=Hashim;type=0 10.4103/0974-8490.132593
spellingShingle TP248.13 Biotechnology
Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun
Phirdaous, Abbas
Amid, Azura
Screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil
title Screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil
title_full Screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil
title_fullStr Screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil
title_full_unstemmed Screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil
title_short Screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil
title_sort screening of anticancer activity from agarwood essential oil
topic TP248.13 Biotechnology
url http://irep.iium.edu.my/36940/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/36940/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/36940/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/36940/1/yUMI_PHIRDAOUS-UPhcogRes_2014_6_3_191_132593.pdf