Abstract
Background: Protium species (Burseraceae) have been used in the treatment of various diseases and conditions such as ulcers and wounds. Methods: The essential oil from the oleoresin of Protium amazonicum was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS, GC-FID, and chiral GC-MS. P. amazonicum oleoresin oil was screened for antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, and Cryptococcus neoformans. Results: A total of 54 components representing 99.6% of the composition were identified in the oil. The essential oil was dominated by δ-3-carene (47.9%) with lesser quantities of other monoterpenoids α-pinene (4.0%), p-cymene (4.1%), limonene (5.1%), α-terpineol (5.5%) and p-cymen-8-ol (4.8%). Chiral GC-MS revealed most of the monoterpenoids to have a majority of levo enantiomers present with the exceptions of limonene and α-terpineol, which showed a dextro majority. P. amazonicum oleoresin oil showed promising activity against Cryptococcus neoformans, with MIC = 156 μg/mL. Conclusions: This account is the first reporting of both the chemical composition and enantiomeric distribution of the oleoresin essential oil of P. amazonicum from Ecuador. The oil was dominated by (−)-δ-3-carene, and this compound, along with other monoterpenoids, likely accounts for the observed antifungal activity of the oil.
Highlights
Protium amazonicum (Cuatrec.) Daly belongs to the Burseraceae, which is comprised of 640 species representing 18 genera throughout the world, mainly distributed in the Neotropics and North Africa [1]
The clear pale yellow oleoresin essential oil from P. amazonicum was obtained in 0.3% yield and analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-FID
Figure 1). δ-3-Carene has been reported as a major component in several Protium spp. oleoresin essential oils, including P. decandrum and P. heptaphyllum [15]; in most oleoresin essential oils from Protium, δ-3-carene is a minor component or unobserved
Summary
Protium amazonicum (Cuatrec.) Daly belongs to the Burseraceae, which is comprised of 640 species representing 18 genera throughout the world, mainly distributed in the Neotropics and North Africa [1].The main characteristic of the Burseraceae is the exuding aromatic resin [2,3], which is known as “copal” in Spanish [4] and “breu” in Portuguese [5]. Protium amazonicum (Cuatrec.) Daly belongs to the Burseraceae, which is comprised of 640 species representing 18 genera throughout the world, mainly distributed in the Neotropics and North Africa [1]. Protium spp. have been used in the treatment of various diseases and conditions such as ulcers and wounds, to treat headaches, toothaches, and rheumatism [2], because of their anti-inflammatory [6,7], antinociceptive [8,9], antineoplastic [10], and gastroprotective [11,12] properties. Protium species (Burseraceae) have been used in the treatment of various diseases and conditions such as ulcers and wounds. Methods: The essential oil from the oleoresin of Protium amazonicum was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS, GC-FID, and chiral. P. amazonicum oleoresin oil showed promising activity against
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