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VOL. 76 (3), 343-356, 2010 CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF a-HUMELENE AND...

cancer cells, in order to identify and compare the active oil con-

stituents. Interestingly, trans-caryophyllene exerted cytotoxic activity

on HCT-116 (IC50 65.2 µg/ml) and was more active against RAW264.7
(IC50 35.2 µg/ml), but in the MCF-7 cells it showed less cytotoxicity
(IC50 > 100 µg/ml). The results also indicated that a-humulene was
active in a similar manner against HCT-116 and MCF-7 cell lines with

IC50 values of 64.2 µg/ml and 81.9 µg/ml, and the highest cytotoxic
activity of this constituent (IC50 38.4 µg/ml) was found in the
RAW264.7 cells.

Table 2. Cytotoxic activity of S. officinalis, its fraction and subfraction samples.
IC50 in µg/ml.

Essential oil, HCT-116 Cell line RAW264.7
fractions and 394.6 ± 1.4 * 207.5 ± 0.8 **
subfractions MCF-7
554.4 ± 1.5
Salvia officinalis L.

Fraction F1 279.3 ± 3.6 ** 265.5 ± 4,4 ** 139.5 ± 0.6 ***

Subfraction F1.1 217.4 ± 7.4 ** 213.1 ± 7.1 ** 118.4 ± 2,5 ***

Subfraction F1.2 145.2 ± 0.6 ** 139.7 ± 6 ** 101.8 ± 4.7 ***

Subfraction F1.3 371 ± 4.4 * > 400 264.9 ± 3.1 *

Fraction F2 316.6 ± 6.6 ** 444.3 ± 12.6 * 163.7 ± 2.5 ***

Fraction F3 423 ± 6.3 * 514.4 ± 11 143.8 ± 3.8 ***

Fraction F4 > 800 556.9 ± 13 > 400

Fraction F5 > 800 > 800 > 400

Fraction F6 > 800 > 800 > 400

Fraction F7 > 800 > 800 > 400

Fraction F8 > 800 > 800 > 400

Fraction F9 > 800 > 800 > 400

Data are given as the mean ± S.D (three independent experiments). Significantly different from control
at *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001, respectively.

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