Maria das Graças B. Zoghbi

Essential oils of Lippia alba (Mill.) N. E. Br growing wild in the Brazilian Amazon

The essential oils of aerial parts of specimens of Lippia alba (Mill.) N. E. Br were analysed by GC–MS. The plants were collected at three municipalities of Para State, Brazil, and their oils shown to be quite different. The samples of essential oils may be divided into three groups. The first, type A (collected at Santa Maria), is characterized by 1,8-cineole (34.9%), limonene (18.4%), carvone (8.6%) and sabinene (8.2%). The second, type B (collected at Belterra), is dominated by limonene (32.1%), carvone (31.8%) and myrcene (11.0%). The third, type C (collected at Chaves), is represented by neral (13.7%), geranial (22.5%), germacrene-D (25.4%) and β-caryophyllene (10.2%).

The essential oils of Lantana camara L. occurring in North Brazil

The essential oils of aerial parts of three samples of Lantana camara L. collected at different places in the Amazon Region were obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC–MS. The main constituents found in the oil of leaves and thin branches of a specimen collect in the State of Amapa (sample A) were limonene (16.5%), α-phellandrene (16.4%), germacrene-D (13.2%), β-caryophyllene (10.8%) and sabinene (8.9%). The major components identified in the oil of leaves and thin branches of a specimen collected in the State of Roraima (sample B) were germacrene-D (28.4%), germacrene-B (9.1%) and β-caryophyllene (5.6%). The specimen collected in the State of Para (sample C) furnished oils from leaves plus thin branches and flowers, separately. Both were dominated by γ-curcumene+ar-curcumene (27.6%; 31.9%), α-zingiberene (19.2%; 15.5%) and α-humulene (10.7%; 9.5%), respectively. Copyright

Volatile constituents from leaves and flowers of Alpinia speciosa K. Schum. and A. purpurata (Viell.) Schum.

The volatile constituents of the leaves and flowers of Alpinia speciosa and Alpinia purpurata growing wild in North Brazil were analysed by GC–MS. The main constituents identified in the leaf oil of A. speciosa were limonene (25.1%), terpinen-4-ol (22.7%) and γ-terpinene (17.4%). The oil obtained from flowers of A. speciosa was dominated by 1,8-cineole (23.1%), terpinen-4-ol (20.4%) and sabinene (14.5%). The major components identified in the leaf oil of A. purpurata were 1,8-cineole (21.8%), β-pinene (15.3%) and (E)-methyl cinnamate (12.9%). The oil obtained from flowers of A. purpurata was dominated by β-pinene (27.8%) and α-pinene (16.9%). Copyright

Aroma volatiles from two fruit varieties of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.)

Abstract The aroma volatiles from two fruit varieties of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) growing in the Amazon were obtained by simultaneous distillation-extraction and analysed by GC–MS. The major components identified in the aroma concentrate of “hard jackfruit” variety were isopentyl isovalerate (28.4%) and butyl isovalerate (25.6%). The aroma concentrate of “soft jackfruit” was dominated by isopentyl isovalerate (18.3%), butyl acetate (16.5%), ethyl isovalerate (14.4%), butyl isovalerate (12.9%) and 2-methylbutyl acetate (12.0%). These results are compatible with the fruits morphological variation and their distinguished aromas, previously observed.

Volatile Constituents from Oleoresin of Protium heptaphyllum (Aubl.) March

Abstract The composition of essential oils from two sources of oleoresins of Protium heptaphyllum were analyzed by GC/MS and Retention Index. The composition of the oils varied according to fresh or aged resin. The oil of fresh resin was rich in α-terpinene (18.0%), p-cymene (36.0%) and γ-terpinene (12.0%), whereas the aged resin oil contained p-cymene (11.0%), terpinolene p-cymen-8-ol (11.0%) and dillapiole (16.0%).

Constituintes voláteis das folhas e dos galhos de Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume (Lauraceae)

Os oleos essenciais das folhas e dos galhos de Cinnamomum zeylanicum coletada no municipio de Manaus, estado do Amazonas, foram obtidos por hidrodestilacao e analisados atraves de CG-EM. Vinte e tres constituintes foram identificados nas folhas, dos quais o eugenol foi o que apresentou maior porcentagem (60%). Nos galhos foram identificados trinta e seis componentes, com predominância dos monoterpenos a- e b-pineno (9,9%; 3,5%), a-felandreno (9,2%), p-cimeno (6,2%), limoneno (7,9%), linalol (10,6%); os sesquiterpenos a-copaeno (3,3%), (b )-cariofileno (6,7%), oxido de cariofileno (3,1%) e os alilbenzenos (E)-cinamaldeido (7,8%) e acetato de (E)-cinamila (9,7%).

Essential oils composition of Eupatorium species growing wild in the Amazon

The essential oils of six Eupatorium species were obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC-MS. The oil of E. macrophyllum was rich in sabinene (46.7%) and limonene (23.3%). The oil of E. laevigatum was mainly constituted by a mixture of aristolone+laevigatin (23.6%), globulol (16.2%) and germacrene D (8.6%). The principal constituents of the oils of the chemotypes A and B of E. squalidum, E. amygdalinum and E. conyzoides were caryophyllene oxide (17.4–30.1%), globulol (25.1%), germacrene D (10.4–21.6%), spathulenol (14.2%) and β-caryophyllene (7.1–12.3%). The oils of the chemotypes A and B of E. marginatum were dominated by α-zingiberene (57.5%), α-gurjunene (19.5%), germacrene D (14.8%), (E)-8-bisabolene (9.7%) and α-selinene (9.0%).

The essential oils of Peperomia pellucida kunth and P. circinnata link var. circinnata

The essential oils of Peperomia pellucida and Peperomia circinnata var. circinnata were investigated by GC–MS. The main components identified in the oil of P. pellucida were dillapiole (39.7%) and trans-caryophyllene (10.7%). The most constituents found in the oil of P. circinnata var. circinnata were limonene (13.5%), elemicin (11.5%), cubebol (9.7%) and myrcene (8.3%). Copyright

Chemical Variability of Copaifera reticulataDucke Oleoresin

The copaiba tree (Copaifera spp.) produces an oleoresin which is highly valued due to its medicinal properties. The chemical composition of C. reticulata oleoresin was characterized, and its variability related to seasonal variation (dry and rainy seasons), to successive extractions, and to several factors associated with tree morphometry, disease, and surrounding vegetation structure was investigated. Oleoresin was collected from 24 C. reticulata individuals between October 2006 and March 2008. For seven individuals, oleoresin was extracted for a second time between three and nine months after the first extraction. For each tree, several morphometric variables, viz., the presence of termites, vines, and holes as well as the soil type and surrounding vegetation structure, were recorded. The chemical composition and concentration of the main volatile compounds were identified by GC/MS. Almost 100% of the constituents were sesquiterpenes, the three main ones being β‐caryophyllene, trans‐α‐bergamotene, and β‐bisabolene. A classification analysis separated the C. reticulata individuals in two main groups and further divided one of the main groups in two subgroups, which were defined by different concentrations of the three main compounds. The results showed high intra‐population variability in the composition and concentration of sesquiterpenes, this being comparable to the interspecific variability. It was not possible to determine a clear influence of environmental, morphometrical, and structural factors on the oleoresin composition, although some compounds varied according to the soil type, the volume of oleoresin extracted, and the crown surface.

Sesquiterpenes of Amazonian Piper species

The essential oils from leaves and thin branches of Piper amapense, Piper ducket and Piper bartlingianum were analysed by GC/MS and all volatile compounds were identified as sesquiterpenes. The main constitutents identified in the oil of P. amapense were trans-caryophyllene (25.0%), caryophyllene oxide (17.0%) and β-selinene (15.0%). The oil of P. duckei was dominated by trans-caryophyllene (23.5%), caryophyllene oxide (18.4%), β-eudesmol (9.4%) and a-eudesmol (9.1%). The major components found in the oil of P. bartlingianum were <x-cadinol (11.2%), p-elemene (10.5%), ą-muurolol (9.4%), (E)-nerolidol (9.0%).