Anticancer and antiproliferative activities of Algerian <i>Origanum majorana</i> L.’s essential oil on PC-3 and SKBR3 cells

Cancer is a prominent cause of death globally, with breast cancer and prostate cancer being among the most devastating types. Therefore, the available anticancer treatments have some drawbacks, like higher toxicity and limited bioavailability. Thus, this study aimed to investigate for the first time the anticancer activity of Algerian <i>Origanum majorana</i> L.’s essential oil (OMEO). This research assessed the chemical profile of Algerian OMEO by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis revealed 29 compounds, which represent 98.08% of total volatile oil. The major compounds identified in OMEO were terpinen-4-ol (21.37%), γ-terpinene (15.78%), α-terpinene (10.43%), and <i>trans</i>-sabinene hydrate (9.27%). Additionally, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) was also used to test the cytotoxicity on prostate cancer (PC-3), breast cancer (SKBR3), and normal retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cell lines. The results showed a selective cytotoxicity effect by decreasing cell viability of PC-3 cancer cells with half inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 608.57 μg/mL and 672.5 μg/mL after 48h and 72h, respectively. Regarding SKBR3 cancer cells, the IC₅₀ was 991.5 μg/mL. OMEO exhibited no significant cytotoxicity against normal (ARPE-19) cells. Furthermore, we conducted a cell apoptosis assay using Hochest 33342 dye to explore the potential mechanism pathway of OMEO. The findings verified that OMEO could trigger apoptosis in PC-3 and SBKR3 cancer cells. The ability of OMEO to inhibit cell migration assessed via wound healing assay revealed a significant decrease in cell migration. Our results imply that OMEO decreases cell viability by inducing cell apoptosis. Moreover, the oil suppresses cell migration in prostate cancer and breast cancer cells.