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.