Abstract
Background: Eugenia species are appreciated for their edible fruits and are known as having anticonvulsant, antimicrobial and insecticidal actions. Methods: The plant material was collected in the southeastern Pará state of Brazil and submitted to hydrodistillation. GC-MS analyzed the oils, and their antioxidant and cytotoxic activities were evaluated by the DPPH and MTT assays. Results: The main components identified in the Eugenia oils were 5-hydroxy-cis-calemene, (2E,6E)-farnesol, (2E,6Z)-farnesol, caryophylla-4(12),8(13)-dien-5α-ol-5β-ol, E-γ-bisabolene, β-bisabolene, germacrene D, and ishwarane. The oil of E. egensis showed the most significant antioxidant activity (216.5 ± 11.6 mg TE/mL), followed by the oils of E. flavescens (122.6 ± 6.8 mg TE/mL) and E. patrisii (111.2 ± 12.4 mg TE/mL). Eugenia oils were cytotoxic to HCT-116 (colon cancer) cells by the MTT assay, where the most active was the oil of E. polystachya (10.3 µg/mL), followed by the oils of E. flavescens (13.9 µg/mL) and E. patrisii (16.4 µg/mL). The oils of E. flavescens and E. patrisii showed the highest toxicity for MRC5 (human fibroblast) cells, with values of 14.0 µg/mL and 18.1 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: These results suggest that Eugenia oils could be tested in future studies for the treatment of colon cancer and oxidative stress management.
Highlights
Myrtaceae Juss. comprises 142 genera and about 5500 species of trees and shrubs, distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with centers of diversity in Tropical America and Oceania, and a few species in Africa [1]
The aim of the present study was to analyze the composition of the oils of Eugenia egensis, E. flavescens, E. patrisii, and E. polystachya, and evaluate their cytotoxic and antioxidant properties
Individual components were identified by comparison of both mass spectrum and GC retention data with authentic compounds, previously analyzed and stored in the data system. They were identified with the aid of commercial libraries containing the retention indices and mass spectra of volatile compounds, commonly found in essential oils [25,26]
Summary
Myrtaceae Juss. comprises 142 genera and about 5500 species of trees and shrubs, distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with centers of diversity in Tropical America and Oceania, and a few species in Africa [1]. In Brazil, it is one of the most diverse and is mainly represented by fruit trees. Myrtaceae and 388 species are native in Brazil [3]. Eugenia species are appreciated for their edible fruits and are known as having anticonvulsant, antimicrobial and insecticidal actions. GC-MS analyzed the oils, and their antioxidant and cytotoxic activities were evaluated by the DPPH and MTT assays. The oil of E. egensis showed the most significant antioxidant activity (216.5 ± 11.6 mg TE/mL), followed by the oils of E. flavescens (122.6 ± 6.8 mg TE/mL) and E. patrisii (111.2 ± 12.4 mg TE/mL). Eugenia oils were cytotoxic to HCT-116 (colon cancer) cells by the MTT assay, where the most active was the oil of E. polystachya (10.3 μg/mL), followed by the oils of
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