Anti-Diabetes, Anti-Gout, and Anti-Leukemia Properties of Essential Oils from Natural Spices Clausena indica , Zanthoxylum rhetsa , and Michelia tonkinensis .

Essential oils (EOs) of Clausena indica fruits, Zanthoxylum rhetsa fruits, and Michelia tonkinensis seeds were analyzed for their phytochemical profiles and biological activities, including anti-diabetes, anti-gout, and anti-leukemia properties. Sixty-six volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), in which, myristicin (68.3%), limonene (44.2%), and linalool (49.3%) were the most prominent components of EOs extracted from C. indica , Z. rhetsa , and M. tonkinensis , respectively. In addition, only EOs from C. indica inhibited the activities of all tested enzymes comprising α-amylase (IC 50 = 7.73 mg/mL), α-glucosidase (IC 50 = 0.84 mg/mL), and xanthine oxidase (IC 50 = 0.88 mg/mL), which are related to type 2 diabetes and gout. Remarkably, all EOs from C. indica , Z. rhetsa (IC 50 = 0.73 mg/mL), and M. tonkinensis (IC 50 = 1.46 mg/mL) showed a stronger anti-α-glucosidase ability than acarbose (IC 50 = 2.69 mg/mL), a known anti-diabetic agent. Moreover, the growth of leukemia cell Meg-01 was significantly suppressed by all EOs, of which, the IC 50 values were recorded as 0.32, 0.64, and 0.31 mg/mL for EOs from C. indica , Z. rhetsa , and M. tonkinensis , respectively. As it stands, this is the first report about the inhibitory effects of EOs from C. indica and Z. rhetsa fruits, and M. tonkinensis seeds on the human leukemia cell line Meg-01 and key enzymes linked to diabetes and gout. In conclusion, the present study suggests that EOs from these natural spices may be promising candidates for pharmaceutical industries to develop nature-based drugs to treat diabetes mellitus or gout, as well as malignant hematological diseases such as leukemia.