Multitarget Antioxidant and Anticancer Potential of Euphorbia greenwayi Essential Oil: Phytochemical Profiling and Molecular Insights

ABSTRACT The Euphorbia greenwayi essential oil (EGEO) was analyzed by GC–MS, and 17 components were identified, accounting for 99.70%, predominantly monoterpene (98.28%). The major components were limonene (26.46%), α‐pinene (18.50%), 1,8‐cineole (25.62%), β‐pinene (6.52%), and γ‐terpinene (4.36%). Antioxidant potential was evaluated using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. The EGEO exhibited dose‐dependent activity, with respective IC 50 values of 417.7 and 448.8 mg/L, indicating moderate antioxidant capacity. Cytotoxic activity was assessed on THLE‐2 (normal liver), MCF‐7 (breast cancer), and HepG2 (liver cancer) cells. The EGEO exhibited negligible cytotoxicity toward THLE‐2 cells (> 93% viability at 0.1–500 µg/mL), while showing pronounced cytotoxicity against MCF‐7 cells (IC 50 = 166.65 µg/mL) and moderate activity against HepG2 cells (IC 50 = 328.03 µg/mL), highlighting selective antiproliferative effects. Molecular docking further substantiated the anticancer potential of EO constituents. Limonene demonstrated the strongest binding affinity against aurora kinase A (−10.586 kcal/mol) and the tumor suppressor PTEN (−6.397 kcal/mol), outperforming other tested monoterpenes. It established key interactions with hinge (Ala273), DFG motif residues in aurora A, and P‐loop residues (Cys124, Arg130) in PTEN, positioning it as a dual‐target lead compound. Sabinene also showed favorable binding to aurora A (−9.964 kcal/mol) but was less active toward PTEN. These findings suggested that EGEO possesses promising antioxidant and anticancer properties, with limonene emerging as a potential multitarget therapeutic agent for oxidative stress‐related and proliferative disorders.