Volatile Compounds and Antiproliferative Effects of Dendropanax morbifera on HepG2 Cells

Abstract

Dendropanax morbifera Lev. is known in Korea for its golden sap and medicinal properties. The many biological activities of the leaf and stem extracts suggest that this tree could be a valuable source of medicinal compounds for the treatment of various ailments such as dermatitis, migraines, dysmenorrhea, muscle pain, and infectious diseases. However, there is little information on the composition and biological activity of the volatile fraction of D. morbifera. Therefore, in this study, the volatile compounds in leaves, stems, and sap of D. morbifera were isolated using solvent and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to reveal their chemical composition and identify potential compounds of interest. Fifteen compounds were identified in the leaf extracts, whereas 29 and 3 compounds were identified in the stem and sap extracts, respectively. The volatile profiles obtained using solvent and SFE differed. Esters and aromatic hydrocarbons predominated in the solvent extract of leaves and SFE extract of stems, whereas the solvent extract of stems and SFE extract of leaves contained terpenoids. Limonene, α-pinene, and β-myrcene were identified in the volatile extract of sap, with limonene representing 96.30% of the total peak area. In addition, the antiproliferative effects of the solvent extracts of leaves and stems were evaluated, revealing that these solvent extracts were particularly effective in decreasing the proliferation of HepG2 cells.