Planta Med 2010; 76 - SL_35
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1264273

Chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oils from native Australian Callitris species

A Oprava 1, D Leach 1, K Beattie 1, P Connellan 1, P Forster 2, G Leach 3, G Buchbauer 4, K Shepherd 1, M Deseo 1
  • 1Southern Cross University, Centre for Phytochemsitry and Pharmacology, PO Box 157, 2480 Lismore, NSW, Australia
  • 2Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Department of Environment and Resource Management, Mt. Coot-tha Road, 4066 Toowong, QLD, Australia
  • 3Herbarium, Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory, PO Box 496, 0831 Palmerston, NT, Australia
  • 4Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Diagnostics, Center of Pharmacy, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

The chemical composition of the essential oil of the wood of the Australian native cypress Callitris endlicheri, C. intratropica and C. columellaris were determined by GCMS. The colour of the oils from C. endlicheri were yellow, yellow green and light green, whilst the distinct blue colour of the oil from C. intratropica was in keeping with its generic name ‘blue cypress oil’. The sesquiterpene alcohol guaiol (1) comprised >50% of the C. endlicheri oil. Significant differences were observed in components between the three accessions. In contrast, the oils of C. intratropica showed more subtle variations between collection sites with both oils being high in guaiol (17–21%) together with the sesquiterpene lactones dihydrocolumellarin (2), 12–20%, and columellarin (3), 2–6%. The green oil from C. columellaris was dominantly dihydrocolumellarin.

Fig.1

In vitro cytotoxicity against the mouse lymphoblast P388D1 cell line of the oils of C. endlicheri gave IC50 values in the range of 1.25 to 2.72µg/mL while C. intratropica and C. columellaris gave IC50 values of 9.10 and 5.43µg/mL, respectively. Guaiol (1), dihydrocolumellarin (2) and columellarin (3) gave IC50 values of 2.31, 1.92 and 8.62µg/mL, respectively. The oil of C. intratropica and compounds 2 and 3 were subjected to phagocytosis assay and although the oil (10µg/mL) showed granulocyte and monocyte activity enhancement of 5.4% and 22.5%, respectively, only columellarin (3) showed an enhancement of granulocytes activity (5.2%). Preliminary investigation into the antioxidant activity of the oils showed some activity of the oils, which varied between accessions within the species.