title: Chemical analysis and antioxidant activity of the essential oils of three Piperaceae species growing in the central region of Cuba.
abstract: The present study describes the phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of the essential oils of three Piperaceae species collected in the central region of Cuba. The essential oils of Piper aduncum, P. auritum and P. umbellatum leaves, obtained by hydrodistillation, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The main components of P. aduncum oil were piperitone (34%), camphor (17.1%), camphene (10.9%), 1,8-cineol (8.7%) and viridiflorol (7.4%), whereas that of P. auritum and P. umbellatum was safrole (71.8 and 26.4%, respectively). The antioxidant properties of the essential oils were also evaluated using several assays for radical scavenging ability (DPPH test and reducing power) and inhibition of lipid oxidation (ferric thiocyanate method and evaluation against Cucurbita seed oil by peroxide, thiobarbituric acid and p-anisidine methods). P. auritum showed the strongest antioxidant activity among the Piper species investigated, but lower than those of butylated hydroxyanisol and propyl gallate.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Chemistry, Central University "Marta Abreu" of Las Villas, C-54830 Santa Clara, Cuba.
authors.forename: Elisa Jorge
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Yanelis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saucedo-Hernández
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vander Heyden
authors.forename: Ernesto F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Simó-Alfonso
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramis-Ramos
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lerma-García
authors.forename: Urbano
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Monteagudo
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Mildred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Medinilla
authors.forename: Yuriam
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: de Armas
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Herrero-Martínez
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D003462:Cuba; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry*; D031701:Piper / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D009822:Oils, Volatile