Chemical profile and cytotoxic activity of essential oils from six species of Baccharis subgenus Coridifoliae (Asteraceae)

Authors: DE ALMEIDA, VALTER - State University Of Ponta Grossa; TOLOUEI, SARA - Universidade Federal Do Parana; MINTEGUIAGA, MANUEL - Universidad Del La Republica; HEIDEN, GUSTAVO - Embrapa Clima Temperado; KHAN, SHABANA - University Of Mississippi; Wang, Mei; DELLACASA, EDUARDO - Universidad Del La Republica; RAMAN, VIJAYASANKAR - University Of Mississippi; FARAGO, PAULO - State University Of Ponta Grossa; KHAN, IKHLAS - University Of Mississippi; JUNIOR, ARQUIMEDES - University Center Of Grande Dourados (UNIGRAN); MANFRON, JANE - State University Of Ponta Grossa

Submitted to: Chemistry and Biodiversity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/30/2023
Publication Date: 10/20/2023
Citation: De Almeida, V.P., Tolouei, S.E., Minteguiaga, M., Heiden, G., Khan, S.I., Wang, M., Dellacasa, E., Raman, V., Farago, P.V., Khan, I.A., Junior, A.G., Manfron, J. 2023. Chemical profile and cytotoxic activity of essential oils from six species of Baccharis subgenus Coridifoliae (Asteraceae). Chemistry and Biodiversity. 20:1-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202300862.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202300862

Interpretive Summary: The genus Baccharis L (Asteraceae) is widespread in the Americas and has been used in folk medicine due to its anti-inflammatory, digestive , and diuretic properties. It comprises about 442 species, 185 of them occurring in Brazil. Baccharis is currently divided into seven subgenera, of which the subgenus Coridifoliae comprises ten species, namely B. albilanosa, B. artemisioides, B. bicolor, B. coridifolia, B. erigeroides, B. napaea, B. ochracea, B. pluricapitulata, B. scabrifolia , and B. suberectifolia. Considering the popularity and economic significance of Baccharis species, the present study aimed to investigate the chemical compositions and evaluate the cytotoxic potential of the six species Baccharis species, viz. B. albilanosa, B. coridifolia, B. erigeroides, B. napaea, B. ochracea, and B. pluricapitulata. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to analyze and compare the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) of the six species. Spathulenol and caryophyllene oxide were detected as the major compounds present in the EOs of all the six species, indicating that there is a chemical similarity between the volatile compounds in the EOs. Interestingly, some compounds were only detected in one species, emphasizing that such compounds could be useful as chemical markers for differentiating these six species. Finally, our findings suggested that B. ochracea EO offers more promising results, as the IC50 values for cancer cells were lower than the IC50 values for the normal cell lines.

Technical Abstract: Baccharis comprises 442 species, 185 of which occur in Brazil (about 42%). Species of the genus Baccharis produce essential oils (EOs) and are known in popular medicine as “carquejas,” “vassouras,” “ervas-santas,” and “mio-mio”, some of which are used for their anti-inflammatory, digestive, and diuretic properties. Considering that no more than 10% of Baccharis species have been pharmacologically studied, the evaluation of these species in relation to chemical composition, biological activity, and safety is necessary. Thus, the aim of the study is to investigate the chemical profile and cytotoxic activity of EOs from species of the subgenus Coridifoliae, namely B. albilanosa, B. coridifolia, B. erigeroides, B. napaea, B. ochracea, and B. pluricapitulata. The chemical profile of the EOs was analyzed by GC-MS and showed spathulenol (7.32-38.22%) and caryophyllene oxide (10.83-16.75%) as major components. The EOs of B. albilanosa, B. coridifolia, B. napaea, B. ochracea, and B. pluricapitulata were cytotoxic against cancer cell lines (BT-549, KB, SK-MEL, and SK-OV-3) and normal cell lines (VERO and LLC-PK1), however, the EO of B. erigeroides was only cytotoxic against LLC-PK1. It is important to emphasize that the EO from B. ochracea showed promising results since it was more selective against cancer cells when compared to the other EOs. This paper highlights chemical-biological information for the genus Baccharis subgenus Coridifoliae, adding more knowledge to the industrial, commercial, and therapeutic potential of the species.