Evaluation of Chemical Composition and Antileishmanial and Antituberculosis Activities of Essential Oils of Piper Species

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2016-12, Vol.21 (12), p.1698-1698
• Main Authors: Bernuci, Karine Zanoli, Iwanaga, Camila Cristina, Fernadez-Andrade, Carla Maria Mariano, Lorenzetti, Fabiana Brusco, Torres-Santos, Eduardo Caio, Faiões, Viviane Dos Santos, Gonçalves, José Eduardo, do Amaral, Wanderlei, Deschamps, Cícero, Scodro, Regiane Bertin de Lima, Cardoso, Rosilene Fressatti, Baldin, Vanessa Pietrowski, Cortez, Diógenes Aparício Garcia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents - chemistry; Antiprotozoal Agents - pharmacology; Antitubercular Agents - chemistry; Antitubercular Agents - pharmacology; Bacillus; Cytotoxicity; essential oil; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; GC–MS; Leishmania - drug effects; Leishmania amazonensis; Macrophages, Peritoneal - drug effects; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - drug effects; Oils & fats; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Parasitic diseases; Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; Piper; Piper - chemistry; Piperaceae; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plant Oils - chemistry; Plant Oils - pharmacology; Principal Component Analysis; Tuberculosis
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules21121698

Essential oils from fresh Piperaceae leaves were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and a total of 68 components were identified. Principal components analysis results showed a chemical variability between species, with sesquiterpene compounds predominating in the majority of species analyzed. The composition of the essential oil of was described for the first time. The cytotoxicity of the essential oils was evaluated in peritoneal macrophages and the oils of , , and exhibited the highest values, with cytotoxic concentration at 50% (CC ) > 200 µg/mL. Both and displayed activity against , and were more selective for the parasite than for the macrophages, with a selectivity index (SI) of 2.35 and >5.52, respectively. These SI values were greater than the 1 for the standard drug pentamidine. The antileishmanial activity of the essential oils of and was described for the first time. , and displayed moderate activity against the H Rv bacillus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 125 µg/mL. These results are relevant and suggests their potential for therapeutic purposes. Nevertheless, further studies are required to explain the exact mechanism of action of these essential oils.