CHARACTERIZATION, CHEMICAL PROFILE, AND ANTICANCER POTENTIAL OF ALPINIA ZERUMBET NANOEMULSION

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the chemical profile of Alpinia zerumbet essential oil (EO) and evaluate the in vitro anticancer activity of its nanoemulsion (NEO). Methods: EO was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. NEO was prepared by phase inversion and tested against thirteen human cancer cell lines using the SRB assay. Results: GC-MS revealed an atypical composition dominated by p-cymene (43.04%), eugenol (36.25%), and trans-cinnamaldehyde (6.10%), constituting a previously undescribed chemotype. NEO exhibited selective cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging from 6.27 to 52.19 mg/L. The highest activity was observed against 502713 colon (6.27 mg/L), IMR-32 neuroblastoma (6.59 mg/L), Hep-2 (6.64 mg/L), and SiHa cervical (7.69 mg/L) cells. Moderate activity was observed against SW-620 (20.94 mg/L), HT-29 (29.70 mg/L), and DU-145 (29.11 mg/L). Lower sensitivity was found for HCT-15 (40.65 mg/L), H-226 (41.38 mg/L), and HOP-62 (52.19 mg/L). Conclusion: A. zerumbet EO presents a novel chemotype with promising and selective anticancer activity, particularly against colon, neuroblastoma, and cervical cancer cells. These findings position the NEO as a promising candidate for further investigations, in vivo validation to assess efficacy and safety, and formulation optimization to enhance its therapeutic potential for cancer treatment.