Elionurus mutycus´s essential oil from north of argentina. Evaluation of cytotoxicity of different chemotypes: preliminary studies

CORDERO GABRIELLI, P.; CACCIABUE, M.; TORRES, C.; SUTIL, S.; ZANON, S.; KOLB, N.; SABINI, L.

Villa Giardino, Córdoba

Jornada; XV Biennial Scientific Meeting in the 70th Anniversary; 2005

Sociedad de Biología de Córdoba

Elionurus sp it’s the most important genera in the Poaceae family, and Elionurus mutycus (Aibe) the most important specie of this genera. It has been reported that the chemical quality of its essential oil (EO) varies considerably in very next places. The chemotypes of EO: Geraniol, Acorenona and Citral have been evaluated in their antimicrobial capacity with promising results. Nevertheless their possible use for the control of microbial pathologies demands the previous determination of their cytotoxicity capacity on eucariotic cells. The aim of this work was to determine the Maximal Non Cytotoxical Concentration (MNCC) on Vero cells of two E. mutycus´s essential oils chemotypes collected in north of Argentina, which were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gaseous chromatography (GC) confirming their chemotypes. Toxicity assays in Vero cells were made incubating confluent cellular monolayers during 72 hs to 37ºC with different concentrations from each EO chemotype using DMSO as dissolvent. The MNCC was determined according Andrei et al., 1985. The cellular alterations induced by the EO at toxic concentrations were characterized: there was cells ballooned and grouping in clusters, cellular death with complete monolayer disorganization. The values of MNCC were: 0.1063 mg/ml and of 0.370 mg/ml for the biotypes Acorenona and Geraniol, respectively, surpassing widely the active concentrations to Gram+ and Gram- bacteria, previously determined, limiting its application on eucariotic cells. Determination of cytotoxic capacity of EO citral biotype will be determinated.