The cytotoxicity [as antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells
(EACC)] of hydrodistilled essential oil which obtained from leaves of Sa/via officina/is
L. cultivated in Egypt was tested in vitro and in vivo. EACC incubated with different
levels of essential oil 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000 ppm for viability test and the percentage
of dead cells of EACC after 2h. were 0, 5, 42, 89, 96 % respectively. The antitumor
activity of essential oil in mice was assessed using survival time. Intraperitoneal
administration of essential oil with single dose 500 ppm after and before EACC
injected increased the survival time by 132.69 and 140.38% and decreased the tumor
volume by 62.93 and 57.01% respectively compared with untreated tumor control
(100%). It could be also observed that the pretreatment with the oil was more effective
than the treatment after tumor development. This may recommend the use of Sa/via
officina/is essential oil as preventive agent against tumor. Chemical composition of the
essential oil was analyzed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS).
Forty one compounds were identified from 52 separated compounds. The major
components were ~-caryophyllene (7.56%), 1,8-cineole (7.27%), 1-terpineol (5.94%)
and Camphor (5.40%).