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Selective cytotoxicity of Gomortega keule essential oil through a ROS-mediated pro-apoptotic mechanism

Alejandro Madrid1,2, Valentina Silva1, Alessandra Russo3

  • 1Laboratorio de Productos Naturales y Síntesis Orgánica (LPNSO), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile.

Frontiers in Pharmacology
|December 24, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Gomortega keule essential oil shows potent and selective anticancer activity against breast, prostate, and colon cancer cells. This natural product induces apoptosis, offering a promising alternative to conventional chemotherapy.

Area of Science:

  • Phytochemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Cancer remains a leading global cause of death, driving the need for novel therapies.
  • Natural products, including essential oils (EOs), are a rich source of potential anticancer agents.
  • The cytotoxic potential of *Gomortega keule*, a Chilean endemic tree, is largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the chemical composition of *Gomortega keule* leaf EO.
  • To evaluate the cytotoxic activity and selectivity of *G. keule* EO against various cancer cell lines.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of action underlying the EO's anticancer effects.

Main Methods:

  • Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for chemical profiling.
  • In vitro cytotoxicity assays using breast (MCF-7), prostate (PC-3), and colon (HT-29) cancer cell lines, and normal MCF-10A cells.
  • Measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and caspase activation to determine the mechanism of action.

Main Results:

  • The *G. keule* EO exhibited a unique diterpene-rich profile, with phyllocladene and kaur-16-ene as major components.
  • The EO demonstrated potent cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, PC-3, and HT-29 cancer cells (IC50 values: 3.97, 2.43, and 9.76 μg/mL, respectively).
  • Remarkably, the EO showed high selectivity for cancer cells over normal cells (Selectivity Index of 24.01 for breast cancer), outperforming standard chemotherapeutics.

Conclusions:

  • *Gomortega keule* EO possesses significant cytotoxic and selective anticancer properties.
  • The EO selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells via ROS generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and caspase activation.
  • *G. keule* EO represents a promising natural source for developing novel, selective anticancer agents.
Keywords:
Gomortega keuleapoptosiscytotoxic activityditerpenesessential oil

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