Essential oils from branches of Bocageopsis, Guatteria and Unonopsis species: chemical composition and antibacterial activity

Abstract

Among the Amazonian species of the family Annonaceae, Bocageopsis multiflora (Mart.) R.E. Fr., Guatteria blepharophylla Mart., Guatteria guianensis (Aubl.) R.E. Fr. and Unonopsis guatterioides (A. DC.) R.E. Fr. present promising essencial oils and biological potential. These species, which occur in terra firme forest, have had the essential oils (EOs) from their leaves previously evaluated, but there is a lack of studies regarding their branches (except for the species B. multiflora). Thus, in the present study, the essential oils of the branches of four species were investigated using GC-FID and GC-MS, and their antibacterial activity was also evaluated. In B. multiflora, the main constituents were exo-2-norborneol acetate (10.3 ± 0.4) and ar-curcumene (10.2 ± 0.3%). Ar-curcumene (10.0 ± 0.3%), caryophyllene oxide (8.4 ± 0.1%) and (Z,Z)-farnesol (7.2 ± 0.2%) were predominant in the EO of G. guianensis. Caryophyllene oxide (51.0 ± 0.1%) was the predominant constituent of the essential oil from G. blepharophylla. U. guatterioides showed the phenylpropanoid elemicin (71.7 ± 0.3%) as its main constituent. The EO of G. guianensis showed strong bactericidal activity against Enterococcus faecalis.