Chemical Composition and Cytotoxic Activity of Pistacia atlantica var. kurdica Fruits

Keywords: Pistacia atlantica var. kurdica, Anacardiaceae, Cancer, Gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy, A549 cell lines, (3-4,5 dimethylthiazol-2yl2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay

Abstract

Pistacia atlantica var. kurdica (Anacardiaceae) is a major subspecies found in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and has several beneficial bioactivities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral. P. atlantica growing in the Kurdistan region is not yet studied phytochemically and pharmacologically. Hence, the goal of the present study is to characterize chemical compounds present in ethanolic extract of P. atlantica fruits by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) and to evaluate cytotoxic activity using A549 (human lung cancer) cell lines by (3-4,5 dimethylthiazol-2yl2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. The GC–MS analysis shows the presence of 33 chemical compounds which constitute about 99.95% of total compounds, and isospathulenol (14.63%), spathulenol (13.45%), α-terpineol (13.28%), limonene (10.92%), terpinolene (10.89%), β-myrcene (6.92%), ethyl pentadecanoate (6.15%), β-pinene (4.98%), and caryophyllene oxide (4.01%) were found as major chemical compounds. P. atlantica inhibits cell proliferation in A549 cell lines in a time (24 h) and dose-dependent manner (0.5–500 µg/mL). After 24 h of treatment with P. atlantica, the cell viability of A549 cell lines ranged from 93.01 ± 5.24 to 57.69 ± 4.15% for concentrations of 0.5–500 µg/mL, respectively. This study expands the knowledge of the chemical composition of P. atlantica fruits and provides scientific evidence for its possible use as an anticancer medicine. The substantial anticancer activity of P. atlantica fruits may be due to the presence of isospathulenol, spathulenol, α-terpineol, limonene, terpinolene, β-myrcene, ethyl pentadecanoate, β-pinene, and caryophyllene oxide.

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Author Biographies

Raad A. Kaskoos, Department of Pharmacy, Al-Manara College for Medical Science, Amarah, Iraq

Raad A Kaskoos is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacy, Al-Manara College For Medical Science, Amarah, Iraq. He got the bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, the master and Ph.D. degree in Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry from Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. His research interests are in isolation, characterization of natural products. Dr. Raad A Kaskoos has authored 3 book chapters. He has published more than 30 research articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Javed Ahamad, Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tishk International University, Kurdistan Region, Erbil, Iraq

Javed Ahamad is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tishk International University. He got the bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, the Master and Ph.D. degree in Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry, from Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. His research interests are in isolation, characterization of natural products. He works as reviewer of many reputed journals. Dr. Javed Ahamad has authored two books, and published 13 book chapters. He has published more than 65 research articles in peer-reviewed journals. His current research interest lies in characterization of essential oils, and development of antidiabetic and anticancer remedies from Kurdish medicinal plants.

Subasini Uthirapathy, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tishk International University, Kurdistan Region, Erbil, Iraq

Subasini Uthirapathy is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tishk International University. She got the B. Pharm., and M. Pharm., a degree in Dr. M.G.R Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, and the Ph.D. degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Her research interests are cardiovascular disease, molecular pharmacology, and Toxicology in the animal models. Dr. Subasini Uthirapathy is a member of the Indian Biomedical Scientists.

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Published
2021-12-15
How to Cite
A. Kaskoos, R., Javed Ahamad and Uthirapathy, S. (2021) “Chemical Composition and Cytotoxic Activity of Pistacia atlantica var. kurdica Fruits”, ARO-THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF KOYA UNIVERSITY, 9(2), pp. 91-95. doi: 10.14500/aro.10868.