Essential Oil from Hedyotis chrysotricha: Chemical Composition, Cytotoxic, Antibacterial Properties and Synergistic Effects with Streptomycin

Abstract

Hedyotis chrysotricha (Palib.) Merr. is a traditional Chinese herb that has been used to treat multiple ailments. In this study, we extracted and characterized the essential oil of H. chrysotricha for the first time and assessed its in vitro cytotoxic, antibacterial activities and the synergistic interaction with Streptomycin. Chemical constituents were determined using GC-FID/MS, which showed 37 components constituted 94.7% of the total oil; borneol (32.7%), linalool (7.5%), isobornyl formate (5.4%) and α-terpineol (4.8%) were the dominant components. The essential oil of H. chrysotricha inhibited strongly the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and possessed a significant cytotoxic activity towards LO2, HepG2 and MCF-7 cells. Besides, the checkerboard assay revealed that the H. chrysotricha essential oil exhibited synergistic potential with Streptomycin. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the H. chrysotricha essential oil exhibits interesting bioactivities, and could be used as a source of natural antibacterial and anti-tumor compounds.