GC-MS metabolites profiling of anethole-rich oils by different extraction techniques: antioxidant, cytotoxicity and in-silico enzymes inhibitory insights

GC-MS profiling and metabolomics study of anise and star anise oils obtained by hydrodistillation, n-hexane, and microwave-assisted extraction methods were conducted herein. Trans-anethole was the major phenylpropanoid in both oils. Principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses revealed a clear separation of different extraction methods. Microwave-assisted star anise oil (MSA) revealed the highest anethole content (93.78%). MSA oil showed antioxidant activity using DPPH and ABTS assays, this was verified via an in-silico docking study of its major compounds on human tyrosinase and NAD(P)H oxidase. Trans-anethole displayed the best fitting scores (−8.9 and −10.1 Kcal/mole, respectively). MSA oil showed promising cytotoxic activity on different cell lines, mainly the cervical (HeLa) cell lines. Cell cycle inhibition at the G0–G1 phase was observed with an early apoptotic effect of the oil on HeLa cells. Trans-anethole achieved the best docking scores (−7.9, −9.3 and −9.9 Kcal/mole) for in-silico study on EGFR, CDK2 and CDK4 enzymes engaged in cancer, respectively.