Anticancer Potential of Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) Essential Oil Against TNBC, Glioma and Kidney Cancer In Vitro
Javed Ahamad 1*
Journal of Angiotherapy 8(9) 1-7 https://doi.org/10.25163/angiotherapy.889859
Submitted: 21 May 2024 Revised: 21 September 2024 Published: 29 September 2024
Abstract
Background: Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton), a member of the Zingiberaceae family, is widely recognized for its use as a spice and traditional medicine. It is commonly used for treating gastric, cardiac, and kidney disorders, as well as infections and inflammatory conditions. Cardamom essential oil, known for its high content of bioactive compounds such as 1,8-cineole and α-terpinyl acetate, has been studied for its diverse biological activities, including antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. However, little is known about its anticancer potential against MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative breast cancer), U87 (glioblastoma), and HEK 293 (kidney) cell lines, especially in the context of cardamom oil sourced from Iraq. Methods: Cardamom essential oil was extracted via hydro-distillation from cardamom fruits collected in Erbil, Iraq, and its chemical composition was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The oil’s anticancer activity was evaluated using the MTT assay against MDA-MB-231, U87, and HEK 293 cell lines. The cells were treated with various concentrations of cardamom essential oil, and cell viability was measured after 24 hours. The IC50 values were calculated to determine the oil’s efficacy. Results: GC-MS analysis revealed 33 compounds in the essential oil, with 1,8-cineole (42.37%) and α-terpinyl acetate (22.14%) being the predominant constituents. The MTT assay demonstrated that cardamom essential oil significantly reduced cell viability in MDA-MB-231 and HEK 293 cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 96.95 µl/ml and 157.44 µl/ml, respectively. However, the oil was less effective against U87 cells, showing only 40.67% inhibition at the highest concentration (500 µl/ml). Conclusion: Cardamom essential oil, rich in 1,8-cineole and α-terpinyl acetate, exhibited strong anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 and HEK 293 cell lines, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for triple-negative breast cancer. Further studies are needed to explore its full potential and mechanisms of action against different cancer types.
Keywords: Cardamom essential oil, MDA-MB-231, anticancer activity, GC-MS, TNBC cells
References
Adams, R.P. (2007). Identification of essential oil components by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy, 4th edition, Allured Publishing Corporation, Carol Stream, Illinois.
Ahamad, J. (2023). Characterization of essential oil composition of Syzygium aromaticum Linn. (Clove) by GC-MS and evaluation of its antioxidant activity. Journal of Angiotherapy, 7(1), 1-5.
Ahamad, J., & Uthirapathy, S. (2021). GC/MS profile and in-vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of essential oil of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh collected from (Erbil) Iraq. Current Bioactive Compounds, 17(5), 47-52.
Ahamad, J., Uthirapathy, S., Ameen, M. S., Anwer, E. T., Hussain, F. H., & Mir, S. R. (2020). Chemical composition and in vitro antidiabetic effects of Olea europaea Linn. (Olive). Current Bioactive Compounds, 16(8), 1157-1163.
Ahamad, J., Uthirapathy, S., Mohammed Ameen, M. S., & Anwer, E. T. (2019). Essential oil composition and antidiabetic, anticancer activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L. leaves from Erbil (Iraq). Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 22(6), 1544-1553.
Ahmad, J., Ahamad, J., Algahtani, M. S., Garg, A., Shahzad, N., Ahmad, M. Z., & Imam, S. S. (2024). Nanotechnology-mediated delivery of resveratrol as promising strategy to improve therapeutic efficacy in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC): Progress and promises. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 21(2), 229-244.
Ali, M. (2001). Techniques in terpenoid identification, Birla Publication, Delhi, India.
Ashokkumar, K., Murugan, M., Dhanya, M. K., & Warkentin, T. D. (2020). Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of cardamom [Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton]–A critical review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 246, 112244.
Husain, S. S., & Ali, M. (2014). Analysis of volatile oil of the fruits of Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton and its antimicrobial activity. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3(2), 1798-1808.
Kumar, S., & Kumari, R. (2021). Traditional, Phytochemical and Biological activities of Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton–A review. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 12(8), 4122.
Kumar, P., Nagarajan, A., & Uchil, P. D. (2018). Analysis of cell viability by the MTT assay. Cold spring harbor protocols, 2018(6), pdb-prot095505.
Qiblawi, S., Kausar, M. A., Shahid, S. M. A., Saeed, M., & Alazzeh, A. Y. (2020). Therapeutic interventions of cardamom in cancer and other human diseases. Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, 32(22), 74-84.
Tarfaoui, K., Brhadda, N., Ziri, R., Oubihi, A., Imtara, H., Haida, S., & Ouhssine, M. (2022). Chemical profile, antibacterial and antioxidant potential of Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Elettaria cardamomum (L.) maton essential oils and extracts. Plants, 11(11), 1487.
Vukovic, N. L., Vukic, M. D., Obradovic, A. D., Matic, M. M., Galovicová, L., & Kacániová, M. (2022). GC, GC/MS Analysis, and Biological Effects of Essential Oils from Thymus mastchina and Elettaria cardamomum. Plants, 11(23), 3213.
Vutakuri, N., & Somara, S. (2018). Natural and herbal medicine for breast cancer using Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton. Int J Herbal Med, 6(2), 91-96.
Yahyazadeh, R., Rahbardar, M. G., Razavi, B. M., Karimi, G., & Hosseinzadeh, H. (2021). The effect of Elettaria cardamomum (cardamom) on the metabolic syndrome: Narrative review. Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences, 24(11), 1462.
View Dimensions
View Altmetric
Save
Citation
View
Share