Cytoprotective Properties of Turmeric Oil (Curcuma longa L.) on Fibroblast Cells.

Objective: Senescence is a cellular physiological process involved in cell aging. One factor that increases senescence is oxidative stress, which can be induced by hydrogen peroxide. Active compounds in turmeric (Curcuma longa) are classified as volatile and non-volatile. Major non-volatile compounds in turmeric are curcumin, dimethoxy curcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin bioactivities that have been widely explored. However, turmeric rhizome oil (TO) has limited reports on its bioactivity and constituents. This study aims to determine the potency of TO as cytoprotective against oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide using the fibroblast cell lines (NIH-3T3 and HDF).

Methods: We evaluated the cytotoxicity of TO using MTT assay, then evaluated its effect on cell senescence using SA-β-gal assay. The cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was observed using DCFDA staining through flow cytometry. The turmeric volatile oil which was obtained by steam-water distillation was analyzed with a gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) to determine the chemical profile.

Results: TO showed low cytotoxicity against HDF and NIH-3T3 cells, with IC50 values of over 100 µM. TO rescued cells from undergoing senescence and reduced ROS levels which were induced by hydrogen peroxide. The GC-MS spectra of the TO compound in positive ionization mode showed retention times of 23.56 and 26.20 minutes, corresponding to the ar-turmerone and turmerone compounds.

Conclusion: These results indicated that TO has the potency as a cytoprotective agent in stress oxidative conditions.