Volatile Components and Biological Activities of n-Hexane Extract From Rhizomes of Homalomena cochinchinensis

Abstract

In this study, we analyzed the volatile constituents of the n-hexane extract from the rhizomes of Homalomena cochinchinensis Engl. by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We also investigated the anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory, and cytotoxic activities of this extract. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 25 compounds, of which linalool was the primary component (17.6%). The extract significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced production of nitric oxide in RAW264.7 cells (IC50 = 21.08 ± 1.80 µg/mL); displayed weak cytotoxic activity against SK-LU-1, HepG2, and MCF7 cancer cell lines (IC50 values ranged from 154.60 to 184.25 µg/mL); and exhibited a weak capacity for AChE inhibition (IC50 = 131.10 ± 9.76 µg/mL). This report is the first to examine the volatile components and biological activities of the n-hexane extract from rhizomes of Homalomena cochinchinensis.