Biological Properties of Myrtus communis Essential Oil – Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Potential
Natural Product Communications, cilt.21, sa.3, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 21 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1177/1934578x261434072
- Dergi Adı: Natural Product Communications
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Anahtar Kelimeler: antibacterial, essential oil, HPTLC analysis, immune system cells, Myrtle
- Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objectives: Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae) is a Mediterranean aromatic plant with numerous beneficial properties. This study aimed to evaluate and investigate its antioxidant and antibacterial activities, as well as its effects on primary immune cells, astrocytes, and C6 glioma cells. Methods: After GC-MS chemical quantification of leaf essential oil composition, HPTLC-DPPH, HPTLC-direct bioautography, and three assays that estimate metabolic activity and cell membrane function were employed to estimate its pharmacological activities. Results: Oil analysis revealed 26 compounds, with α-pinene (41.61%) and 1,8-cineole (38.79%) being dominant constituents. Strong antioxidant activity can be primarily attributed to 1,8-cineole (80.5 ± 4.8 µg gallic acid equivalents/µL). Antibacterial evaluation showed higher susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus (529.4 ± 41.3 µg streptomycin equivalents/µL) than Klebsiella pneumoniae (279.8 ± 13.1 µg/µL). M. communis essential oil exhibited pronounced cytotoxicity toward immune cells (peritoneal macrophages, thymocytes, and splenocytes) and primary astrocytes at the highest tested concentration (100 μg/ml), while it had no impact on C6 glioma cells. At lower concentrations, the oil exerted minimal or no cytotoxic effects, indicating a concentration-dependent and cell-type-specific response. Conclusion: These data provide comprehensive evidence linking the chemical composition of the essential oil to its bioactivity and potential pharmacological applications, highlighting the considerable antioxidant and antibacterial activities, while emphasising the need for careful application due to its toxic potential.