title: Chemistry and biological activity of essential oils from Piper claussenianum (Piperaceae).
abstract: Analyses of essential oils obtained from fresh and dried leaves and inflorescences of Piper clausenianum were performed using GC-FID, GC-MS and NMR techniques. Forty compounds were detected for these four oils with the total of identified constituents ranging from 88.7% for the dried inflorescences to 97.7% for the dried leaves. Sesquiterpenes were the main constituents in the volatile fraction from leaves with a high percentage of (E)-nerolidol (up to 83%). However, monoterpenes were identified in greater amount in the inflorescences, with linalool percentages from 50% up. The essential oils from fresh leaves and inflorescences were submitted to anti-parasitic activity against a strain of Leishmania amazonensis. Both samples showed biological activity, but the essential oil from P. claussenianum fresh leaves, which was rich in (E)-nerolidol, showed effective growth inhibition of L. amazonensis due to the high percentage of this metabolite in the mixture.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisas de Produtos Naturais (NPPN), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco H, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), CEP: 21941-590 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. andrefarmaciarj@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: André M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Anna Léa S
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Eber M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: José Alexandre da R
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Curvelo
authors.forename: Leosvaldo S M
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Velozo
authors.forename: Davyson de L
authors.initials: Dde L
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Elsie F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Rosângela Maria A
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Maria Auxiliadora C
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry*; D031701:Piper / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils