Composition of Essential Oil from Tagetes minuta and its Cytotoxic, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

Abstract

The essential oil from the leaves of Tagetes minuta L., growing wild in Yemen, was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 28 compounds were identified representing 74.2% of total oil composition. Major components of the essential oil were (Z)-ocimenone (15.9%), (E)-ocimenone (34.8%), (Z)-β-ocimene (8.3%), limonene (2.3%), (Z)-tagetone (1.8%), dihydrotagetone (1.4%) and an unidentified dimethylvinylketone derivative (20.6%). The oil showed moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast tumor cells, with an IC 50 of 54.7  6.2 μg/mL. In the DPPH radical scavenging assay, T. minuta oil showed potent antiradical activity with an IC 50 value of 36 µg/mL. Antimicrobial activity was also investigated on several microorganisms, and the essential oil exhibited high activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with an inhibition zone of 23 mm. It also exhibited remarkable antifungal activity against Candida albicans with an inhibition zone of 26 mm.

Tagetes spp. Essential Oils and Other Extracts: Chemical Characterization and Biological Activity

“…Another EO from Egypt [ 89 ] was dominated by ( E )- and ( Z )-tagetone, which together accounted for 52.3–64.2% of the EO, which also contained limonene (18.2%), spathulenol (6.9%), dihydrotagetone (5.9%), linalol (5.9%), α-gurjunene (2.3%), sabinene (2.3%), longifolene (2.2%), terpinen-4-ol (1.4%), and β-caryophyllene (1.2%). On the other hand, an EO from Yemen [ 90 ] was characterized by ( Z )-tagetenone (15.9%) and ( E )-tagetenone (34.8%), and secondarily by ( Z )-β-ocimene (8.3%), limonene (2.3%), ( Z )-tagetone (1.8%), dihydrotagetone (1.4%), and a dimethylvinylketone derivative (20.6%).…”

“…The analysis resulted in an inhibition halo greater than 20 mm in diameter, suggesting that the C. albicans strain was extremely sensitive to the EO. Ali et al [ 90 ], using the same methodology, tested the EO from T. minuta leaves against C. albicans . The EO showed good anticandidal activity with a 26-mm inhibition zone, compared to nystatin.…”

A Survey of Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Yemeni Aromatic Medicinal Plants

“…Tagetes minuta essential oil is an article of commerce and is used in baked goods, candy, ice cream, and soft drinks [ 44 ]. Tagetes minuta is used in the Arabian Peninsula as an antimicrobial, anthelmintic, diuretic, and antispasmodic [ 45 ], and the essential oil has shown biocidal, acaricidal, antifungal and antimicrobial activities [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. The essential oil of Tagetes minuta from Yemen has been reported to have ( Z )-ocimenone (15.9%), ( E )-ocimenone (34.8%), ( Z )-β-ocimene (8.3%), limonene (2.3%), ( Z )-tagetone (1.8%), and dihydrotagetone (1.4%).…”

“…However, the oil had a potent DPPH radical-scavenging activity with an IC 50 of 36 µg/mL. Moreover, the oil was highly active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) [ 51 ]. Similarly, Tagetes minuta essential oil showed considerable antioxidant activity in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay [ 52 ].…”

Effects of Pb in Tagetes minuta L. (Asteraceae) leaves and its relationship with volatile compounds

“…The plant has a rich chemistry for natural products and yields volatile essential oils, obtained by hydrodistillation, that are widely used in cosmetics, perfumery (with its aroma being, classified as sweet, similar to citrus fruits), as a food flavoring and in beverages and medicine (Vasudevan et al, 1997). Its properties include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects (Ali et al, 2014;Karimian et al, 2014) and anxiolytic (Rocabado et al, 2011) and antibacterial activities (Shirazi et al, 2014). Not only does it have excellent medicinal properties, but it also has been found to have nematicidal and antimicrobial (Tereschuk et al, 1997;Tomova et al, 2005), effects, and can be used in repellents for mosquitoes, ticks and mites (Green et al, 1991;López et al, 2011;Okoth, 1973;Perich et al, 1994;Wanzala et al, 2014;Wanzala and Ogoma, 2013), as well as in insecticides against family Psychodidae and vectors of diseases such as leishmaniasis (Dinesh et al, 2014).…”