Apoptosis-inducing effects of Melissa officinalis L. essential oil in glioblastoma multiforme cells.

Rafaela Muniz de Queiroz, Christina Maeda Takiya, Lívia Paes Tavares Pacheco Guimarães, Gleice da Graça Rocha, Daniela Sales Alviano, Arie Fitzgerald Blank, Celuta Sales Alviano, Cerli Rocha Gattass

Index: Cancer Invest. 32(6) , 226-35, (2014)

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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.