Sedanolide,a Natural Phthalide from Celery Seed Oil: Effect on Hydrogen Peroxide and tert -Butyl Hydroperoxide-Induced Toxicity in HepG2 and CaCo-2 Human Cell Lines

Abstract

Sedanolide is a natural compound occurring in edible umbelliferous plants. Celery seed oil, a significant source of sedanolide, is used as an herbal remedy to treat inflammatory-associated conditions such as gout and rheumatism. The objective of this study was to assess the potential protective properties of sedanolide against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)- and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH)-induced toxicity in HepG2 and CaCo-2 cells. Viability of HepG2 and CaCo-2 cells was unaffected by a 24-h exposure to sedanolide (7-500 μM), however, when the cells were cultured in sedanolide-free medium for a further two cell cycles (72 h), a decrease in cell viability was observed for HepG2 cells previously exposed to 500 μM of the compound. Cells pretreated with sedanolide (100 μM for 24 h) and exposed to either H₂O₂ or tBOOH did not exhibit statistically significant difference in viability from controls. A significant increase (p < 0.05) in DNA strand breaks, as measured by the comet assay, was observed in HepG2 but not CaCo-2 cells following a 24-h incubation with 500 μM sedanolide. Sedanolide did not modulate H₂O₂- and tBOOH-induced DNA damage. Sedanolide is relatively nontoxic to cells in culture, however, the protection it afforded against H₂O₂- and tBOOH-induced toxicity was not statistically significant.