Assessment of anti-cytotoxic, anti-genotoxic and antioxidant potentials of Bulgarian Rosa alba L. essential oil

Abstract

Bulgarian Rosa alba L. essential oil is widely used in perfumery, cosmetics and pharmacy. The scarce data about its cytotoxic/genotoxic effect and anti-cytotoxic/anti-genotoxic potential gave us a reason to set our aim: i) to study its cytotoxic/genotoxic activities, iii) to explore its cytoprotective/genoprotective potential against the experimental mutagen N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in two experimental test-systems - barley and human lymphocytes using appropriate endpoints and iii) to assess its antioxidant properties. Findings about chemical composition of rose essential oil would help us to explain its activities. Chromatogaphic profile of rose essential oil was obtained by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and quantificaton of particular constituents was done with a Gas Chromatography-FID system. Superoxide anion radical scavenging, DPPH inhibition and iron ion chelating activity were used to study a possible antioxidant potential of the rose oil. Its defense potential was investigated by induction of chromosome aberrations and micronuclei in both test-systems. Cytogenetic analysis showed a low cytotoxic effect in both test-systems and no high genotoxic effect in human lymphocytes in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Rose oil possessed a well-expressed anti-cytotoxic/anti-genotoxic potential against MNNG manifested by decreasing both of chromosome aberrations and micronuclei regardless of the experimental schemes used. A well-expressed concentration-depended free radical scavenging activity of the essential oil was obtained. Current data suggest a promising ethnopharmacological potential of Bulgarian white rose essential oil.

Keywords

• Rosa alba L. essential oil
• rose oil components
• genotoxicity
• anti-cytotoxicity
• anti-genotoxicity
• antioxidant effect