Analysis of the Seasonal Variation in Chemical Profile of Piper glabratum Kunth Essential Oils using GC×GC/qMS and Their Antioxidant and Antifungal Activities

Abstract

Piper glabratum is a plant native from South America, which has been little studied, despite its use in folk medicine. In this study, chemical composition, antioxidant and antifungal activities of essential oils (EOs) from leaves of P. glabratum were investigated. The influence of seasonality on its chemical composition was also evaluated. The chemical characterization was performed by twodimensional gas chromatography coupled with quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC×GC/qMS). Altogether, 199 compounds were identified in the EOs and their composition varied during the seasonal cycle. The main compounds found were sesquiterpenes and their oxygenated analogues. EOs showed antioxidant activity, measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-DPPH (from 28.1 to 33.4 µg mL-1) and β-carotene assays (from 57.4 to 66.4%), and inhibitory action against C. albicans. The oils provided expressive properties; however, the yield of EO from winter was not enough for activities assays, remarking the influence of the seasonality on the biological activities of this plant.

An overview of research of essential oils by self‐organizing maps: A novel approach for meta‐analysis study

“…Genus Piper spp. are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and are commonly found in Brazil (Santos et al., 2019). Furthermore, the difference in Iran is mainly due to the presence of the genera Thymus spp., Zataria spp., and Salvia spp.…”

Essential Oils from Piper caldense C. DC. and Piper xylosteoides (Kunth) Steud.: Seasonal Variation of the Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity

“…Piper L. species are rich in essential oils (EOs), a mixture of volatile compounds usually extracted by hydrodistillation, mainly composed of terpenes and phenylpropanoids, which vary greatly according to the species, geographic location and seasonal variation [4–6] …”

“…Very few studies have evaluated the seasonality effect on EOs from Piper L. species, which impacted their yields, chemical compositions and biological activities [6–9] . These properties can vary according to the geographical location, environmental and genetic factors.…”

“…EOs from genus Piper L. are known for having different properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, larvicidal and anticholinesterasic [12–14] . Several Piper L. species native to Brazil are reported to possess antimicrobial activities, which is crucial to fight drug‐resistance issues [6,15–17] …”