Studies of the essential oil of chemical Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt (Poaceae) guides by evaluation of in vitro antiproliferative activity

• Grant number: 12/04822-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmacognosy
• Principal Investigator: Vera Lúcia Garcia
• Grantee: Fernanda Greco Faria
• Host Institution: Centro Pluridisciplinar de Pesquisas Químicas, Biológicas e Agrícolas (CPQBA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Paulínia , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The importance of studying the antitumoral activity of medicinal plants is related to the fact that cancer is a major public health problem worldwide. In the United States, there are about one million new cases each year. In Brazil, the number of cancer cases increases every year and in southeastern Brazil, malignant tumors are the second leading cause of death. Since 1996, the CPQBA/UNICAMP developed screening studies of medicinal plants with potential anticancer activity, following the same methodology as the National Cancer Institute (NCI, USA). Preliminary results obtained by our research group revealed the potential antiproliferative activity in vitro of essential oil from leaves, stems, roots, and xilopodios of the Viguiera robusta Were evaluated 10 tumor cell lines: colon (HT-29), lung (NCI-H460), breast (MCF-7), Glia (U251), Kidney (786-O), ovarian (OVCAR-3) phenotype Ovary multidrug resistance (NCI-ADR/RES), prostate (PC-3), leukemia (K562) and keratinocyte human (HaCaT). The analysis of in vitro antiproliferative activity of the OE fresh leaves of V. robusta was selective for tumor cell lines leukemia (K-562), Kidney (786-0), and Glial U251 Ovary with the multidrug-resistant phenotype (NCI-ADR/RES). These results motivated us to propose this research project, aiming to carry out chemical studies of essential oils (EO's) of fresh and dried leaves of V. robusta bioguiado robust assays for in vitro antiproliferative activity to identify active compounds.(AU)