Exploring the anticancer properties of essential oils from family Lamiaceae

Lamiaceae is among the largest families of flowering plants with about 250 genera and over 7,000 species distributed around the world. It is considered as the important source of essential oils, for example, menthol, geraniol, eucalyptol, camphor and thymol. Therefore, it is imperative to study these economically important compounds under in vitro conditions for their sustainable and enhanced production. In addition to proven biological activities, essential oils from this family have recently been evaluated for anticancer activities and considered as a source of anticancer drugs. Mechanisms involved in the essential oils-mediated antiproliferative activity include cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and DNA repair mechanisms. Essential oils also act in the reduction of tumors, inhibiting metastasis and as anti-multidrug resistance molecules. The aim of this review is to assess the anticancer properties of essential oils obtained from different members of family Lamiaceae. The available reports on active components of essential oils and their effect on cancer type and cell line have been discussed. Biotechnological studies to improve the production of essential oils have also been highlighted. Various methods have been adopted to obtain essential oils under in vitro conditions from different plant species of family Lamiaceae, and their production is affected by culture conditions, cultivation mode, utilization of nutrient media and plant growth regulators. The literature survey suggests that essential oils obtained from family Lamiaceae have perspective for the development of new alternatives for disease treatment and prevention.