Chromatographic analysis, anti-proliferative and radical scavenging activity of Pinus wallichina essential oil growing in high altitude areas of Kashmir, India

Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro anti-proliferative and radical scavenging properties of the essential oil and its fractions and to determine the chemo-type of P. wallichiana essential oil. Method: Pinus wallichiana oil was extracted by hydro-distillation and fractionated by silica gel column chromatography method. The oil and its fractions were analyzed by Gas chromatography, Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and C-13 NMR. Different concentrations of oil 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 mu g/ml and single concentration 50 mu g/ml of its fractions B-1, B-2, A(2), G(2), Uk(13) and I-2 were evaluated for its anti-proliferative activity by in vitro {3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide} assay against human monocyte, lung carcinoma, liver adenocarcinoma, prostate and ovarian carcinoma, while as the radical scavenging activity was evaluated by different in vitro DPPH assays. Results: The analyses indicated the presence of 17 constituents with beta-pinene (46.8%) and alpha-pinene (25.2%) as major constituents. The oil and its fractions showed significant anti-proliferative activity. The radical scavenging activity also showed good results. Conclusion: The oil could be used as a drug to control the diseases like cancer, cirrhosis and arteriosclerosis, caused by reactive oxygen species. (C) 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.