ANTICANCER ACTIVITY IN VITRO OF THE LIPPIA ALBA ESSENTIAL OIL

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer activity in vitro of the essential oil (EO) of Lippia alba and characterize its chemical composition. Methods: The EO was extracted via hydrodistillation from leaves collected in Maranhão, Brazil. Anticancer activity was evaluated against a panel of human cancer cell lines (colon, lung, cervical, oral, prostate, neuroblastoma, and liver) using the Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Chemical composition was analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. Results: The EO exhibited significant cytotoxicity, with the most pronounced activity observed against neuroblastoma (IMR-32; IC50 = 6.85 mg/L), a head and neck carcinoma (Hep-2; IC50 = 8.45 mg/L), and cervical carcinoma (SiHa; IC50 = 11.34 mg/L). Chemical analysis identified a chemotype rich in linalool (22.7%), myrcene (19.63%), caryophyllene oxide (13.99%), and trans-verbenol (11.26%). Conclusion: The essential oil of Lippia alba demonstrates promising in vitro anticancer activity, particularly against specific cell lines, which is attributable to its complex chemical profile dominated by bioactive terpenes. These findings position it as a candidate for further studies to elucidate its mechanisms of action and evaluate its efficacy and safety in in vivo models.