Apoptosis-inducing effects of Melissa officinalis L. essential oil in glioblastoma multiforme cells
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
Author Spotlight: Recreating Melanoma Complexity with Patient-Derived Organoids for Immunotherapy Evaluation
Published on: September 6, 2024
Rafaela Muniz de Queiroz1, Christina Maeda Takiya, Lívia Paes Tavares Pacheco Guimarães
1Laboratório de Imunologia Celular, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,1.
Abstract:
Current therapies for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are not effective. This study investigated the activity of the M. officinalis essential oil (EO) and its major component (citral) in GBM cell lines. Both EO and citral decreased the viability and induced apoptosis of GBM cells as demonstrated by DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation. Antioxidant prevented citral-induced death, indicating its dependence on the production of reactive oxygen species. Citral downmodulated the activity and inhibited the expression of multidrug resistance associated protein 1 (MRP1). These results show that EO, through its major component, citral, may be of potential interest for the treatment of GBM.
Insights
M. officinalis essential oil and its component citral show potential against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). They reduced GBM cell viability and induced apoptosis, offering new avenues for GBM treatment research.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Natural Products Chemistry
Background:
- Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor with limited effective treatment options.
- Essential oils and their components are increasingly explored for therapeutic potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the anti-cancer activity of M. officinalis essential oil (EO) and its primary component, citral, against GBM cell lines.
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying citral's effects on GBM cells, including apoptosis induction and drug resistance modulation.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of GBM cell lines to M. officinalis EO and purified citral.
- Assessment of cell viability using standard assays.
- Induction of apoptosis evaluated through DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation assays.
- Investigation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) involvement using antioxidants.
- Analysis of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) expression and activity.
Main Results:
- Both M. officinalis EO and citral significantly decreased GBM cell viability.
- Apoptosis was induced in GBM cells, evidenced by DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation.
- Citral-induced cell death was dependent on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.
- Citral inhibited the activity and expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) in GBM cells.
Conclusions:
- M. officinalis essential oil, primarily through its component citral, exhibits significant cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on glioblastoma multiforme cells.
- The anti-cancer activity of citral is linked to ROS generation and the inhibition of MRP1, a key drug efflux pump.
- These findings suggest that M. officinalis EO and citral hold potential as novel therapeutic agents for glioblastoma multiforme treatment.
