GC-MS ANALYSIS OF ESSENTIAL OIL AND ANTICANCER ACTIVITIES OF EXTRACTS FROM DISCARDED LEAVES OF NICOTIANA TABACUM LINN

Abstract

Objective: Cancer is still one of the most fatal diseases that threaten human health. Since the effectiveness of conventional cancer therapies based on chemotherapy, radiotherapy, cytotoxic drugs, and surgery is limited by their toxic effects, new therapies are needed. Secondary metabolites from plants exhibit good biological activities. The effect of solvent polarity and method of extraction on the yield of extraction, and the effect of the solvent extract on the biological activities of Nicotiana tabacum Linn. leaves extracts were evaluated. The essential oil extract of the leaves will be analyzed as well. Material and Method: Samples of tobacco leaves, grown in Lebanon, were the subject of this work. Two methods of extraction in a series of solvents with decreasing polarities were performed. The antitumor activity was evaluated on breast adenocarcinoma MCF7 cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cytotoxicity assay. The chemical composition analysis was conducted using TLC and GC-MS for essential oil. Result and Discussion: The Nicotiana tabacum extracts exhibit anticancer activities, and it is affected by the solvent used. Moreover, the polarity and method of extraction significantly affect the yield of extraction. These results required further investigations on this plant and must be tested on other cancer cell lines. The TLC analysis of different extracts lead us to suggest the presence of α-4,8,13-duvatriene-1,3-diol, β -4,8,13-duvatriene-1,3-diol and Z-abienol (Z-AB). Totally 19 volatile constituents were detected in N. tabacum and the main components were pentadecanal (47.71 %), biosol (15.88 %), solanone (11.06 %), thymol (5.52 %), damascenone (2.16 %), and β-Caryophyllene (2.19 %). As well as that many studies are required to determine the active principles and their mode of action.