Sesquiterpene-rich Root Essential Oil of Nardostachys jatamansi Exhibits Antiproliferative and Pro-apoptotic Activity in Colon Cancer Cells.

Colon cancer is the third most frequent malignancy globally and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Natural compounds have proven to offer positive potential in the treatment of different carcinomas. Recent studies have demonstrated the strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Nardostachys jatamansi root essential oil (NJ-EO). However, so far, there are only a few reports regarding the potential of this plant against various cancer cell lines, including colon cancer cells. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the cytotoxic potential of NJ-EO on HCT-116 human colon cancer cells. According to the results, several mono- and sesquiterpene compounds were identified in the NJ-EO by GC-MS analysis on the basis of mass/charge ratio. Among the identified constituents, valeranone (29.76%) emerged as the most abundant compound, followed by tau-cadinol (23.25%) and patchouli alcohol (8.58%), all of which are sesquiterpenes with well-documented pharmacological properties. Moreover, the results of the MTT assay, cytomorphological and nuclear imaging, H2DCFDA, Rh123, JC-1 staining, etc., along with apoptosis and cell cycle analysis, showed significant cytotoxic activity of NJ-EO against HCT-116 cells, suggesting its potential in the prevention and management of colon cancer, which could be due to the abundance of terpenoids.