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. 2014 Nov 19;4(6):591–607.

Table 1.

Summary of literature review (2004-2014)

Cancer Essential oil or compound tested Plant family Cell line used Reference
Brain Croton regelianus and ascaridole compound Euphorbiaceae SF-295 (IC50 = 48.0 μg/ml and 8.4 μg/ml respectively) [97]
Brain (glioblastoma) Afrostyrax lepidophyllus and Scorodophloeus zenkeri Huaceae and Caesalpiniaceae (Fabaceae) T98G (IC50 = 15.4 μg/ml and 12.4 μg/ml respectively) [10]
Brain (glioblastoma) α-Bisabolol --- T67 and C6: 50% of cell death after 24 h treatment with 2.5 µM [94]
Brain (glioblastoma) Casearia sylvestris Salicaceae U87 (IC50 = 27.1 μg/ml) [42]
Brain (glioblastoma) O. basilicum, L. multiflora, A. conizoides, and Z. officiniale Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae, Asteraceae and Zingiberaceae respectively SF-767 (0.30, 0.31, 0.43 and 0.48 mg/ml respectively) and SF-763 (0.43, 0.47, 0.38 and 0.44 respectively) [36]
Brain (glioma) Malus domestica Rosaceae C-6 (1 mg/ml = 58.5% inhibition) [51]
Breast Afrostyrax lepidophyllus and Scorodophloeus zenkeri Huaceae and Caesalpiniaceae (Fabaceae) MDA-MB 231 (IC50 = 10.9 μg/ml and 8.0 μg/ml, respectively) [10]
Breast Satureja khuzistanica Lamiaceae MCF7 (IC50 = 125 μg/ml) [8]
Breast Casearia sylvestris Salicaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 42.2 μg/ml) [42]
Breast Cedrelopsis grevei Rutaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 21.5 mg/L) [43]
Breast Solanium spirale Roxb. Solanaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 19.69 μg/ml) [44]
Breast carbazole alkaloids --- MCF-7 (IC50 = 2.12 μg/ml) [98]
Breast Helichrysum gymnocephalum Asteraceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 16 μg/ml) [99]
Breast Pituranthos tortuosus (Desf.) Apiaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 3.38 μg/ml) [54]
Breast Melaleuca armillaris Myrtaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 12 μg/ml) [100]
Breast Rosmarinus officinalis Lamiaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 190.1 μg/ml) [101]
Breast Schinus molle L. and Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi Anacardiaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 54 mg/ml and 47 mg/ml, respectively) [102]
Breast Erigeron acris L. Asteraceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 14.5 μg/ml) [103]
Breast Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg. Thymelaeaceae MCF-7 (99.6% inhibition at 500 μg/ml) [104]
Breast Thymus vulgaris L. Lamiaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 0.030% (v/v)) [32]
Breast Aristolochia mollissima rhizome and the aerial part Aristolochiaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 20.6 and 21.1 μg/ml respectively) and MDA-MB-435S (IC50 = 22.1 and 20.3 μg/ml respectively) [59]
Breast Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Araliaceae MCF-7 (IC50 = 7.3 μg/ml) [72]
Breast β-caryophyllene oxide --- MDA-MB-231 [78]
Breast (mouse) Angelica archangelica fruits from separate locations A, B and C Apiaceae Crl (IC50 = 47.7; 91.8 and 63.6 μg/ml respectively) [71]
Cervix Liquidambar styraciflua leaf and stem Hamamelidaceae HeLa (IC50 = 136.27 and 119.78 μg/ml respectively) [56]
Cervix Ocimum basilicum Linn. Lamiaceae HeLa (IC50 = 90.5 μg/ml) [105]
Cervix carbazole alkaloids --- HeLa (IC50 = 1.98 μg/ml) [98]
Cervix Aristolochia mollissima rhizome and the aerial part Aristolochiaceae HeLa (IC50 = 38.6 and 50.6 μg/ml respectively) [59]
Ovary D-Limonene --- V79 [77]
Ovary Malus domestica Rosaceae CHOK1 (1000 µg/ml = 68.3% inhibition) [51]
Colon Kadsura longipedunculata Schisandraceae SW-480 (IC50 = 136.62 µg/ml) [70]
Colon Comptonia peregrina (L.) Myricaceae DLD-1 (IC50 = 46 μg/ml) [106]
Colon Satureja khuzistanica Lamiaceae SW480 (IC50 = 62.5 μg/ml) [8]
Colon 1,8 cineol --- HCT116 and RKO [9]
Colon Artemisia indica Asteraceae Caco-2 (IC50 = 19.5 μg/ml) [11]
Colon Pituranthos tortuosus (Desf.) Apiaceae HCT116 (IC50 = 1.34 μg/ml) [54]
Colon Croton regelianus and ascaridole compound Euphorbiaceae HCT-8 (IC50 = 40.0 μg/ml and 18.4 μg/ml respectively) [97]
Colon Cymbopogon flexuosus Poaceae 502713 (IC50 = 4.2 µg/ml) [107]
Colon Eugenol --- SNU-C5 (IC50 = 129.4 μM) [89]
Colon Geraniol and 5-fluorouracil --- Caco-2 (IC50 = 250 and 0.4 µM respectively) and SW620 (IC50 = 330 and 2.0 µM respectively) [96]
Colon Afrostyrax lepidophyllus and Scorodophloeus zenkeri Huaceae and Caesalpiniaceae (Fabaceae) HCT116 (IC50 = 12.4 μg/ml and 8.5 μg/ml respectively) [10]
Colon Athanasia brownii Hochr. Asteraceae HCT 116 (IC50 = 29.53 μg/ml) [40]
Kidney Platycladus orientalis and Prangos asperula Cupressaceae and Apiaceae ACHN (IC50 = 121.93 and 139.17 µg/ml respectively) [5]
Kidney Laurus nobilis Lauraceae ACHN (IC50 = 78.24 μg/ml) [67]
Kidney Aristolochia mollissima rhizome and the aerial part Aristolochiaceae ACHN (IC50 = 22.3 and 33.8 μg/ml respectively) [59]
Kidney Satureja khuzistanica Lamiaceae Vero (IC50 = 31.26 μg/ml) [8]
Leukaemia Cymbopogon flexuosus and isointermedeol Poaceae HL-60 (IC50 = 30 μg/ml and 20 μg/ml, respectively) [80]
Leukaemia Casearia sylvestris Salicaceae HL-60 (IC50 = 29 μg/ml) [42]
Leukaemia Artemisia indica Asteraceae THP-1 (IC50 = 10 μg/ml) [11]
Leukaemia Malus domestica Rosaceae THP-1 (1000 µg/ml = 68.3% inhibition) [51]
Leukaemia carbazole alkaloids --- P388 (IC50 = 5.00 μg/ml) [98]
Leukaemia Croton regelianus and ascaridole compound Euphorbiaceae HL-60 (IC50 = 22.2 μg/ml and 6.32 μg/ml respectively) [97]
Leukaemia (Promyelocytic) Eugenol --- HL-60 (IC50 = 23.7 μM) [89]
Leukaemia (mouse) Ocimum basilicum L Lamiaceae P388 (IC50 = 0.0362 mg/ml) [108]
Liver Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Frodin Araliaceae HepG2 (IC50 = 6.9 μg/ml) [72]
Liver Curcuma wenyujin Zingiberaceae HepG2 (IC50 = 70 μg/ml) [109]
Liver Curcuma zedoaria (Berg.) Rosc. Zingiberaceae SMMC-7721 (IC50 = 30.7 μg/ml) [110]
Liver Patrinia scabra Bunge Caprifoliaceae Bel-7402 (IC50 = 16 μg/ml) [52]
Liver Eugenol --- HepG2 (IC50 = 118.6 μM) and U-937 (IC50 = 39.4 μM) [89]
Liver Thymus citriodorus Lamiaceae HepG2 (IC50 = 0.34% v/v) [53]
Liver Artemisia indica Asteraceae HEP-2 (IC50 = 15.5 μg/ml) [11]
Liver Pituranthos tortuosus (Desf.) Apiaceae HEPG2 (IC50 = 1.67 μg/ml) [54]
Liver Kadsura longipedunculata Schisandraceae HepG2 (IC50 = 136.96 µg/ml) [70]
Liver Aristolochia mollissima rhizome and the aerial part Aristolochiaceae Bel-7402 (IC50 = 33.1 and 49.5 μg/ml respectively) and Hep G2 (IC50 = 33.2 and 40.7 μg/ml respectively) [59]
Lung Artemisia indica Asteraceae A-549 (IC50 = 25 μg/ml) [11]
Lung Tridax procumbens Asteraceae B16F-10 in vitro (70.2% of inhibition for 50 µg) and in vivo [61]
Lung (small cell) Solanium spirale Roxb. Solanaceae NCI-H187 (IC50 = 24.02 μg/ml) [44]
Lung Malus domestica Rosaceae A549 (1000 µg/ml = 60.7% inhibition) [51]
Lung Thymus vulgaris L. Lamiaceae A549 (IC50 = 0.011% (v/v)) [32]
Lung Comptonia peregrina (L.) Myricaceae A-549 (IC50 = 66 μg/ml) [106]
Lung Xylopia frutescens Aubl. Annonaceae NCI-H358M (IC50 = 24.6 μg/ml) [60]
Mouth epidermal carcinoma Psidium guajava L Myrtaceae KB (IC50 = 0.0379 mg/ml) [108]
Multiple myeloma β-caryophyllene oxide --- U266 and MM1.S [78]
Nasopharyngeal cancer Centipeda minima Asteraceae CNE (IC50 = 5.2 μg/ml after 72 hrs) [111]
Neuroblastoma Cymbopogon flexuosus Poaceae IMR-32 (IC50 = 4.7 µg/ml) [107]
Oral cancer Solanium spirale Roxb. Solanaceae KB (IC50 = 26.42 μg/ml) [44]
Oral cancer Salvia officinalis Lamiaceae UMSSC1 (IC50 = 135 μg/ml) [112]
Oral cancer Levisticum officinale Apiaceae HNSCC (IC50 = 292.6 μg/ml) [65]
Ovary Patrinia scabra Bunge Caprifoliaceae HO-8910 (IC50 = 21 μg/ml) [52]
Ovary Cymbopogon citratus Poaceae Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) [50]
Pancreas Angelica archangelica fruits from separate locations A, B and C Apiaceae PANC-1 (IC50 = 58.4; 108.3 and 48.6 μg/ml respectively) [71]
Pancreas Kadsura longipedunculata Schisandraceae MIA PaCa-2 (IC50 = 133.53 µg/ml) [70]
Prostate Xylopia frutescens Aubl Annonaceae PC-3M (IC50 = 40 μg/ml) and in vivo at 37.5% of inhibition [60]
Prostate Nagami kumquats Rutaceae LNCaP (200 ppm = 55, 61 and 63.4 % inhibition at 24, 48, 72 h [113]
Prostate Rosmarinus officinalis Lamiaceae LNCaP (IC50 = 180.9 μg/ml) [101]
Prostate a-humulene --- LNCaP (IC50 = 11.24 μg/ml) [67]
Prostate β-caryophyllene oxide --- DU145 [78]
Prostate Thymus vulgaris L. Lamiaceae PC-3 (IC50 = 0.010% (v/v)) [32]
Prostate O. basilicum, L. multiflora, A. conizoides, and Z. officiniale Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae, Asteraceae and Zingiberaceae respectively LNCaP (0.46, 0.58, 0.35 and 0.38 mg/ml respectively) and PC3 (0.45, 0.30, 0.49 and 0.42 respectively) [36]
Skin (melanoma) Athanasia brownii Hochr. Asteraceae A375 (IC50 = 19.85 μg/ml) [40]
Skin (melanoma) Afrostyrax lepidophyllus and Scorodophloeus zenkeri Huaceae and Caesalpiniaceae (Fabaceae) A375 (IC50 =20.6 μg/ml and 17.7 μg/ml respectively) [10]
Skin (melanoma) Casearia sylvestris Salicaceae A2058 (IC50 = 41.1 μg/ml) [42]
Skin (melanoma) Curcuma zedoaria (Berg.) Rosc. Zingiberaceae B16BL6 (IC50 = 41.8 μg/ml) [110]
Skin (melanoma) Croton regelianus and ascaridole compound Euphorbiaceae MDA-MB-435 (IC50 = 47.3 μg/ml and 10.5 μg/ml respectively) [97]
Skin (melanoma) Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Araliaceae A375 (IC50 = 7.5 μg/ml) [72]
Skin (amelanotic) Cupressus sempervirens ssp. pyramidalis Cupressaceae C32 (IC50 = 104.90 µg/ml) [5]
Skin (amelanotic) Laurus nobilis Lauraceae C32 (IC50 = 75.45 μg/ml) [67]
Stomach Nigella sativa seeds Ranunculaceae SCL, SCL-6, SCL-37’6, NUGC-4 and Kato-3 (IC50 = 155.02; 185.77; 120.40; 384.53 and 286.83 respectively) [114]
Uterus Casearia sylvestris Salicaceae Siha (IC50 = 23.9 μg/ml) [42]