CHEMICAL PROFILE AND ANTICANCER POTENTIAL OF MENTHA PIPERITA ESSENTIAL OIL MICROCAPSULES

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the chemical composition of Mentha piperita essential oil and evaluate the anticancer activity of its alginate microcapsules against human tumor cell lines. Methods: The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Microcapsules were prepared by ionic gelation using sodium alginate as wall material and calcium chloride as crosslinking agent. Anticancer activity was assessed against a panel of twelve human cancer cell lines using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay, with IC₅₀ values calculated after 48 hours of exposure. Results: GC-MS analysis identified five major compounds, with menthol (55.95%) as the predominant constituent, followed by menthone (20.74%), eucalyptol (10.44%), menthyl acetate (8.52%), and trans-menthone (4.35%). The microencapsulated essential oil exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against all tested cell lines, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 6.19 to 101.21 mg/L. The most sensitive cell lines were neuroblastoma (IMR-32, IC₅₀ = 6.19 ± 2.00 mg/L), cervical cancer (SiHa, IC₅₀ = 11.25 ± 4.00 mg/L), and colon cancer (502713, IC₅₀ = 7.87 ± 2.25 mg/L). Conclusion: M. piperita essential oil microcapsules present a promising anticancer profile against various human tumor cell lines, offering a potential natural alternative for complementary cancer therapy. These findings position the microencapsulated essential oil as a candidate for the development of plant-based anticancer agents, particularly for neuroblastoma, cervical, and colon cancers.