Composición fisicoquímica y efectos citotóxicos del aceite esencial de zacate limón (Cymbopogon citratus) sobre líneas celulares de cáncer colorrectal

Introduction: Plants can produce essential oils with antioxidant properties capable of protecting cells from free radicals, inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, and preventing cellular alterations. Objective: To evaluate the physicochemical properties and cytotoxic effects of lemongrass essential oil (LEO) extracted from Cymbopogon citratus leaves. Methodology: LEO was obtained by steam distillation of C. citratus leaves. Its color, refractive index, density, extraction yield, volatile composition, and functional groups (via FTIR) were analyzed. LEO and pure citral cytotoxic activities were assessed in vitro against HT29, Caco-2, and CCD841-CoN cell lines. Results: Twenty-one volatile compounds were identified, representing 90 % of the total compounds in the sample, with citral as the main compound (73.17 %), followed by β-myrcene (6.84 %), and geraniol (3.77 %). LEO exhibited notable cytotoxic activity against HT29 (IC50 = 35 μg∙mL-1) and Caco-2 (IC50 = 24 μg∙mL-1) cell lines after 48 h of exposure using violet crystal assay. In contrast, no cytotoxic effects were observed against the CCD841-CoN cell line in vitro at concentrations below 77 μg∙mL-1. Study limitations: The findings apply to LEOs with similar chemical composition. Originality: These results confirmed that LEO can be considered as a chemopreventive agent. Conclusions: The high specificity of LEO against cancer cells, combined with its low toxicity to normal cells, suggests its potential use as an adjuvant in colon cancer therapy