Essential Oils in Mexican Bays (Litsea spp., Lauraceae): Taxonomic Assortment and Ethnobotanical Implications1

Abstract

Essential Oils in Mexican Bays (Litseaspp., Lauraceae): Taxonomic Assortment and Ethnobotanical Implications. The seven species of Litsea found in Mexico, all of them popularly known as “laurel,” were surveyed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for their foliar essential oils composition and related ethnobotanical applications. Litsea glaucescens is in high demand as a condiment, and is sold in rural and urban markets all over Mexico. However, four other species are also locally used for food seasoning. Litsea guatemalensis is the species most used in traditional medicine, especially to treat fever, chills, infectious diseases of the digestive system, and arthritis. No reports of culinary, medicinal, or other applications were located for L. muelleri, and L. pringlei. This is the first report on the essential oils for L. neesiana, L. muelleri, L. parvifolia, L. pringlei, and L. schaffneri. The terpenoids commonly found in all the Litsea species studied were 1,8-cineole, linalool, α-pinene, β-pinene, m-cymene, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, caryophyllene, and caryophyllene oxide. Nevertheless, each species can be distinguished by its characteristic assortment of terpenoids. According to hierarchical cluster analysis, three groups of species were recognized: (1) 1,8-cineole group (C-10 terpenes), consisting of L. glaucescens, L. schaffnerii, L. pringlei, and L. muelleri; (2) limonene-rich group (C-10 oxygenated terpenes), including L. guatemalensis, and L. neesiana, and (3) oxygenated sesquiterpenes-rich group (C-15 oxygenated terpenes), comprising L. parvifolia. The chemical profiles of L. glaucescens and L. guatemalensis suggest a correlation with the culinary and medicinal uses of these species due to the known properties of their main constituents.