Chemical Profile and Anticancer Activity of Polyscias guilfoylei Leaf Essential Oil

Background: Polyscias guilfoylei, commonly called ‘geranium aralia’, is an erect shrub with dark green leaves. P. guilfoylei has been introduced to tropical countries and is generally cultivated in gardens for ornamental purposes. There are no previous studies on the essential oil of P. guilfoylei and its biological activities. Objectives: In this study, we report the chemical profile of P. guilfoylei leaf essential oil and its anticancer activity tested by various in vitro and in vivo assays. Methods: The chemical profile of P. guilfoylei leaf oil was elucidated by Gas Chromatographic analyses (GC-FID, GC-MS). Anticancer activity of P. guilfoylei leaf oil was tested by MTT, morphological observations, DNA ladder, comet, caspase, flow cytometry and in vivo assays. Results: Gas chromatographic profiling of P. guilfoylei leaf oil identified 50 constituents (β-selinene 49.59%, α-selinene 21.68%, (Z)-falcarinol 11.65%). In MTT assay, P. guilfoylei leaf oil at 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 μg/ml showed 98.6 ± 1.2, 95.3 ± 0.78, 76.8 ± 1.59, 43.6 ± 0.99 and 39.8 ± 1.17% DLA cell death, respectively (CD50 5.96 μg/ml). In flow cytometry, the majority of P. guilfoylei leaf oil (25 μg/ml) treated DLA cells showed an accumulation/cell arrest in G2M phase (61.7 ± 2.6%). In P. guilfoylei leaf oil treated mice (40 days), 5 animals (83.3%, each) were protected in 25, 50 mg/kg groups. Conclusion: P. guilfoylei leaf oil, with minimal toxicity to normal cells, exhibited significant anticancer activity against lymphoma cells enhancing its potential as an anticancer agent.