GC/MS Analysis of Essential Oil and Enzyme Inhibitory Activities of Syzygium cumini (Pamposia) Grown in Egypt: Chemical Characterization and Molecular Docking Studies

Syzygium cumini (Pomposia) is a well-known aromatic plant belonging to the family Myrtaceae, and has been reported for its various traditional and pharmacological potentials, such as its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antidiarrheal properties. The chemical composition of the leaf essential oil via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed the identification of fifty-three compounds representing about 91.22% of the total oil. The identified oil was predominated by alpha-pinene (21.09%), followed by beta-(E)-ocimene (11.80%), D-limonene (8.08%), beta-pinene (7.33%), and alpha-terpineol (5.38%). The tested oil revealed a moderate cytotoxic effect against human liver cancer cells (HepG2) with an IC50 value of 38.15 & PLUSMN; 2.09 mu g/mL. In addition, it effectively inhibited acetylcholinesterase with an IC50 value of 32.9 & PLUSMN; 2.1 mu g/mL. Furthermore, it showed inhibitory properties against alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase with IC50 values of 57.80 & PLUSMN; 3.30 and 274.03 & PLUSMN; 12.37 mu g/mL, respectively. The molecular docking studies revealed that (E)-beta-caryophyllene, one of the major compounds, achieved the best docking scores of -6.75, -5.61, and -7.75 for acetylcholinesterase, alpha-amylase, and alpha-glucosidase, respectively. Thus, it is concluded that S. cumini oil should be considered as a food supplement for the elderly to enhance memory performance and for diabetic patients to control blood glucose.