Exploring the Phytochemical Profile and Therapeutic Potential of Saudi Native <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L. Essential Oil

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Medicinal plants such as <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L., an evergreen shrub from the Asteraceae family, have long been valued for their bioactive compounds and traditional therapeutic uses. <b>Materials:</b> In this study, the e...

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Main Authors: Hanan Y. Aati, Wedad Sarawi, Hala Attia, Rehab Ghazwani, Lama Aldmaine
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Pharmaceutics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/7/830
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author Hanan Y. Aati
Wedad Sarawi
Hala Attia
Rehab Ghazwani
Lama Aldmaine
author_facet Hanan Y. Aati
Wedad Sarawi
Hala Attia
Rehab Ghazwani
Lama Aldmaine
author_sort Hanan Y. Aati
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Medicinal plants such as <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L., an evergreen shrub from the Asteraceae family, have long been valued for their bioactive compounds and traditional therapeutic uses. <b>Materials:</b> In this study, the essential oil of <i>S. chamaecyparissus</i> (EOSC) was isolated via hydrodistillation and then comprehensively evaluated for its phytochemical composition and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hemolytic, and cytotoxic properties, as well as its in silico bioactivity. <b>Results:</b> In total, 89.5% of the essential oil composition was successfully identified using GC-MS analysis. Hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes constituted the largest fraction (36.0%), followed by oxygenated sesquiterpenes (19.7%). Phytochemical screening revealed high phenolic content (839.50 ± 5.0 mg GAE/g E.O), while the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) assay confirmed its strong antioxidant potential. The oil showed moderate hemolytic activity and significant lipoxygenase inhibition, indicating anti-inflammatory capability. The cytotoxic effects of the EOSC were evaluated using the MTT assay and HepG2 liver cancer cells. A dose-dependent reduction in cell viability was observed, confirming the oil’s strong anticancer activity. Molecular docking and ADMET analyses supported the bioactivity of the identified compounds, which showed good drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic properties. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings demonstrate that EOSC has promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that it could have potential as a safe natural substance for use in drug development and food preservation.
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spelling doaj-art-310d7bab3dbd40e7910da5b4c547bc1d2025-08-20T03:56:47ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232025-06-0117783010.3390/pharmaceutics17070830Exploring the Phytochemical Profile and Therapeutic Potential of Saudi Native <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L. Essential OilHanan Y. Aati0Wedad Sarawi1Hala Attia2Rehab Ghazwani3Lama Aldmaine4Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Medicinal plants such as <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L., an evergreen shrub from the Asteraceae family, have long been valued for their bioactive compounds and traditional therapeutic uses. <b>Materials:</b> In this study, the essential oil of <i>S. chamaecyparissus</i> (EOSC) was isolated via hydrodistillation and then comprehensively evaluated for its phytochemical composition and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hemolytic, and cytotoxic properties, as well as its in silico bioactivity. <b>Results:</b> In total, 89.5% of the essential oil composition was successfully identified using GC-MS analysis. Hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes constituted the largest fraction (36.0%), followed by oxygenated sesquiterpenes (19.7%). Phytochemical screening revealed high phenolic content (839.50 ± 5.0 mg GAE/g E.O), while the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) assay confirmed its strong antioxidant potential. The oil showed moderate hemolytic activity and significant lipoxygenase inhibition, indicating anti-inflammatory capability. The cytotoxic effects of the EOSC were evaluated using the MTT assay and HepG2 liver cancer cells. A dose-dependent reduction in cell viability was observed, confirming the oil’s strong anticancer activity. Molecular docking and ADMET analyses supported the bioactivity of the identified compounds, which showed good drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic properties. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings demonstrate that EOSC has promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that it could have potential as a safe natural substance for use in drug development and food preservation.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/7/830<i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i>antioxidantGC-MSanti-inflammatorycytotoxicitymolecular docking
spellingShingle Hanan Y. Aati
Wedad Sarawi
Hala Attia
Rehab Ghazwani
Lama Aldmaine
Exploring the Phytochemical Profile and Therapeutic Potential of Saudi Native <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L. Essential Oil
Pharmaceutics
<i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i>
antioxidant
GC-MS
anti-inflammatory
cytotoxicity
molecular docking
title Exploring the Phytochemical Profile and Therapeutic Potential of Saudi Native <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L. Essential Oil
title_full Exploring the Phytochemical Profile and Therapeutic Potential of Saudi Native <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L. Essential Oil
title_fullStr Exploring the Phytochemical Profile and Therapeutic Potential of Saudi Native <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L. Essential Oil
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the Phytochemical Profile and Therapeutic Potential of Saudi Native <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L. Essential Oil
title_short Exploring the Phytochemical Profile and Therapeutic Potential of Saudi Native <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i> L. Essential Oil
title_sort exploring the phytochemical profile and therapeutic potential of saudi native i santolina chamaecyparissus i l essential oil
topic <i>Santolina chamaecyparissus</i>
antioxidant
GC-MS
anti-inflammatory
cytotoxicity
molecular docking
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/7/830
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