Elemicin-rich Cymbopogon khasianus (Hack) Stapf (ex Bor) Essential Oil: Pharmacological Effects, Toxicological Investigation, and Compositional Analysis

Background: Cymbopogon khasianus is a widely used industrial and pharmacologically important aromatic grass species. Objective: The present investigation was designed to study and compare the elemicin rich Cymbopogon khasianus essential oil (EREO), its pharmacological effects and genotoxicity with pure compound elemicin. Materials and Methods: Chemical composition identification was performed using GC/MS and NMR techniques. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH), reducing power assay for antioxidant; albumin denaturation, a protease inhibitor for anti-inflammatory; acetylcholinesterase (AChE) for anticholinesterase; amylase inhibitory for anti-diabetic; tyrosine inhibitory for skin whitening; disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration assay for antimicrobial, and Allium cepa assay for genotoxicity were used. Results: GC/MS analysis identified 38 compounds; among them, elemicin 72.34%, D-limonene 3.81%, and methyl eugenol 3.34% were the major compounds. A significant amount of antioxidant activity IC50 31.38 μg/mL; anti-inflammatory activity (protein denaturation assay) IC50 16.77 μg/mL; protease inihibitor assay IC50 51.08 μg/mL; anticholinesterase IC50 12.095 μg/mL; antidiabetic activity IC50 17.36 μg/mL; and anti-tyrosinase activity IC50 17.69 μg/mL were reported. Antimicrobial activity analysis against 13 microbial strains revealed negative effects. Genotoxicity study using Allium cepa assay revealed negative toxicity of EREO with an aberration percentage of 04.30% and pure elemicin 05.30%, which was very low in comparison to ethyl-methanesulfonate (EMS) 13.90%. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first scientific evaluation of novel elemicin rich EREO pharmacological properties compared with pure compound elemicin. Together, it can be stated that EREO possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cholinesterase activities way better than pure compound elemicin as well as standard drugs used.