Lawsonia inermis essential oil: extraction optimization by RSM, antioxidant activity, lipid peroxydation and antiproliferative effects

Background The present study was focused on the optimization of yield of the essential oil extraction from leaves of Lawsonia inermis , and the determination of chemical composition, antioxidant activities, and lipid peroxydation and antiproliferative effects. Methods Henna essential oil (HeEO) were extracted by hydrodistillation; the identification of the chemical composition were done by GC/MS method. HeEO was analyzed for antioxidant power in: (1) chemical system by the DPPH test, the ABTS test and the total antioxidant activity test; and (2) in biological system by lipid peroxydation tests (MDA and DC) in cells culture. The cytotoxicity effects of HeEO were assessed using MTT assay against Raji and HeLa cell lines. Results The optimal extraction yield was 6.8 g/100 g d.b. HeEO showed a remarkable anti-oxidant activities including DDPH (42%), ABTS (87%) and the power of ammonium phosphomolybdate (2992 ± 230 mg of HeEO by equivalent to 1 mg of vitamin C in terms of total antioxidant power). Conclusion Beyond notable antioxidant activities of the HeEo, our results showed a significant decrease in the production of ERO in the Raji cell line. The anti-tumor power of the Henna essential oil shows an interesting cytotoxicity effect (IC 50 at 0.26 μg/mL for Raji and at 1.43 μg/mL for HeLa) with a total mortality percentage reaching 60%, for both.