Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Potential, and Anticancer Activity of Origanum compactum Benth Extract Against Human Lung and Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Abstract

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, with current treatments often limited by resistance, toxicity, and variable effectiveness. In the search for improved therapies, medicinal and aromatic plants represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds with remarkable therapeutic potential. These naturally derived compounds play a pivotal role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, including cancer, offering multi-targeted actions with lower toxicity and potential to enhance conventional treatments. This makes them promising candidates for the development of novel cancer therapies. In this study, the ethanolic extract of Origanum compactum, obtained by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE300), was evaluated for its phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and cytotoxicity against Human Lung (NCI-N417) and Pancreatic (TCP-1026) cancer cell lines. GC-MS analysis identified twenty-two compounds in the O. compactum, with γ-terpinene, thymol, and carvacrol as the dominant compounds. The extract is rich in phenolic compounds and showed a potent antioxidant activity with a DPPH-radical-scavenging activity of IC50=31.89 ±0.05 μg mL−1. O. compactum extract also exhibits a noticeable antiproliferative potential against Human Lung (IC50=304.8±0.18 μg mL-1) and Pancreatic cancer cells (IC50=58.87±0.04 μg mL-1). These findings suggest that O. compactum possesses significant antioxidant and anticancer properties, highlighting its potential as a source of bioactive compounds for cancer therapy. However, further studies, including in vivo investigations and the mechanism of action, are necessary to confirm its efficacy and safety for clinical applications.