Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils from Wedelia chinensis (Osbeck) in vitro and in vivo Lung Cancer Bearing C57BL/6 Mice

Aim: The present investigation was to evaluate the effects of essential oils of Wedelia chinensis (Osbeck) onfree radicals and in vivo antioxidant properties.
Methods: Essential oils were extracted using hydro-distillationand compound analysis was performed by GC-MS analysis. Screening for inhibitory activity was conductedby DPPH and OH-scavenging assays. In addition an in vivo study was carried out in cell line implantedcancer bearing mice with assessment of levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, lipidperoxidation, nitric oxide and reduced glutathione. Finally, lungs were dissected out for histopathology study ofmetastasis.
Results: GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of carvocrol and trans-caryophyllene as the majorcompounds with 96% comparison with the Wilily and NBS libraries. The essential oil exhibited significantinhibition in DPPH free radical formation. Whereas reducing power and hydroxyl radical scavenging activityare dose dependent. When compared with the standard, it was found that the essential oil has more or less equalactivity in scavenging free radicals produced. In the animal studies, the level of antioxidant enzymes catalase,superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as glutathione, were found to be increased in treatedgroups whereas lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide were reduced. Histopathology report also shows that theessential oil has a significant combating effect against cancer development.
Conclusion: In all the in vitro assays,a significant correlation existed between the concentrations of the essential oil and percentage inhibition of freeradicals. The in vivo studies also has shown a very good antioxidant property for the essential oil during cancerdevelopment. From, these results the essential oil can be recommended for treating disease related to free radicalsand to prevent cancer development.