Comparative Bioactivities and Fatty Acid Composition of Pinus koraiensis Leaf Oils Obtained Using Different...

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Nutraceuticals

Background:

• * Pinus koraiensis* leaves possess diverse bioactivities, including anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, and anti-hyperlipidemic properties.
• * Essential oil (EPO) and supercritical-CO2-extracted oil (SPO) are common extracts from plant materials, potentially differing in chemical composition and bioactivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To compare the physicochemical traits, bioactivities (antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant), and fatty acid profiles of EPO and SPO from *P. koraiensis* leaves.
• * To evaluate the potential of these extracts as functional food or medicinal ingredients.

Main Methods:

• * Extraction of oils using essential oil distillation and supercritical-CO2 extraction.
• * Physicochemical characterization.
• * Antibacterial assays against *Streptococcus mutans* and *Candida albicans*.
• * In vitro assays for antioxidant (ROS suppression) and anti-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6) effects in HaCaT and THP-1 cells.
• * Cytotoxicity assays against a panel of human cancer cell lines.
• * Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for fatty acid profiling.

Main Results:

• * SPO exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity against *S. mutans*, while EPO was more effective against *C. albicans*.
• * SPO demonstrated superior suppression of LPS-induced ROS and attenuated TNF-α and IL-6 upregulation in cell lines.
• * SPO exerted greater cytotoxicity against non-small cell lung, prostate, and colon cancer cell lines.
• * GC-MS analysis revealed greater fatty acid diversity in SPO (16 fatty acids, 10 unique) compared to EPO.
• * Pentadecenoic acid was abundant in both oils, while linolelaidic acid was unique to EPO.

Conclusions:

• * SPO possesses broader bioactivity, including enhanced antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects compared to EPO.
• * SPO shows a richer and more diverse fatty acid composition.
• * SPO demonstrates significant potential as a functional food ingredient or a medicinal agent due to its superior bioactivity and compositional profile.