Abstract

JARAMILLO C, Beatriz E.; DUARTE, Edisson; MUNOZ, Karen  and  STASHENKO, Elena. Volatile chemical composition of essential oil from Colombian Croton malambo H. Karst. and determination of its antioxidant activity. Rev Cubana Plant Med [online]. 2010, vol.15, n.3, pp.133-142. ISSN 1028-4796.

INTRODUCTION: the use of plants for therapeutic purposes in traditional medicine is an important legacy that previous generations have left and a part of the culture of peoples. There are numerous studies on essential oils, in which its usefulness in various areas such as the manufacture of perfumes, cosmetics, flavors, pharmaceutical industry, etc. are highlighted. Several researches reported on the various biological activities having essential oils (insecticides, antioxidant, antibacterial effect, etc.). Croton malambo H. Karst. belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, it is an aromatic small tree growing in the Colombian northern coast and in eastern Venezuela. This species has cytotoxic activity, proapoptosis and anti-inflammatory activity. OBJECTIVE: to study the volatile chemical composition of essential oil of C. malambo and to evaluate the possible antioxidant activity of essential oil. METHODS: the essential oil was obtained from the Croton malambo H. Karst bark. by hydrodistillation, the volatile chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS). The antioxidant potential of essential oil of C. malambo was determined by decoloration assay of stable radical cation ABTS⁺. RESULTS: the major components found in the essential oil of C. malambo were methyl eugenol (63,5 %) and linalool (5,6 %). The TAA obtained was 2,2 mmol trolox/kg essential oil. CONCLUSIONS: the essential oil of C. malambo is formed by chemical compounds widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. It did not provide a strong antioxidant activity compared with the activity of BHA, BHT, a-tocopherol.

Keywords : Croton malambo H. Karst.; gas chromatography; essential oil; antioxidant activity.

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