Analysis of the Volatile Components of Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd. and a Preliminary Study of Their Anticancer Activity

Abstract:

Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd. was selected as a starting material to extract volatile components using simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) method. The composition of volatile components was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Subsequently, the anticancer activities of the volatile components and major monomeric substances of Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd. were studied using mouse hepatoma cells (Hepa1c1c7). A cell viability of greater than 50% and quinone reductase (QR) induction activity greater than or equal to 2 were set as the activity indicators. The results showed that a total of over 80 types of major volatile compounds were identified by the GC-MS analysis, accounting for 92.56% of the total volatiles. Ketones, alcohols, and aldehydes were the major chemical types. Among them, geranylacetone, β-ionone, nonanal, and spathulenol were the most abundant volatile components. The measurement of anti-cancer activity indicated that the induced QR activity was amplified when the concentration of volatile components of Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd. was (27.50±0.10) μg/mL. And the concentrations of linalool, geranylacetone, and nonanal, the three main volatile components that enhanced the induced QR activity, were (54.53±0.10) μg/mL, (283.10±0.10) μg/mL, and (297.77±0.12) μg/mL, respectively.