Chemical variability of essential oils of Protium colombianum from two tropical life zones and their in vitro activity against isolates of Fusarium

Abstract

There is considerable interest in finding replacements for the synthetic fungicides and preservatives that are currently used to control fungal pathogens; however, any alternative compounds must be safe and must prevent the development of microbial resistance. In this regard, essential oils have received special attention. Protium colombianum Cuatrecasas is an endemic tree found in tropical rainforests and possesses aromatic and resinous characteristics. To date, there have been no reports concerning the chemistry of this species, which belongs to a genus that represents an interesting source of essential oils that are occasionally used as antimicrobial agents. Therefore, the chemical composition of the essential oils found in P. colombianum collected from two life zones over a five-month period was analyzed using gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry. A total of 92 components, comprising 97.7-99.9 % of the total composition, were identified based on their mass spectra and the retention indices. Precedence markers were identified for each life zone, and seasonality affected the samples from one life zone when rainfall was maximum. The in vitro activity against Fusarium oxysporum isolates from carnation and chrysanthemum, as well as a Fusarium solani isolate from chrysanthemum, was tested by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration. Assays using essential oils and control substances showed that terpenoid and phenolic compounds are mainly responsible for the observed antifungal activity. These results suggest that P. colombianum essential oils exhibit cytotoxicity against Fusarium isolates and that the search for new sources of anti-fungal essential oils should include sources that contain different ratios of terpenoid and phenolic compounds.Keywords Anti-fungal activity Á Fusarium spp. Á Protium colombianum essential oil Á Seasonal variation Key message• Essential oils of P. colombianum from two life zones were chemically characterized and activity against Fusarium isolates was tested using metabolites and controls. • Origin markers were established for biogeographical life zones during 5 months and chemistry revealed that alkyl-benzene derivatives and phenolics were deterministic of bioactivity. • The results suggest that sources containing different ratios of alkyl-benzene derivatives and phenolics should be included in the search for new sources of anti-fungal EO and design of future agrotechnological products.Communicated by M.B. Isman. Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (

Ontogenesis of Resin Ducts and Secretory Process in Protium spruceanum (Burseraceae) Stems

“…The triterpenes α- and β-amyrin are the main compounds of P. spruceanum resin, together with phenolic compounds, alkaloids, mucilage, and proteins. The resins of other species of Protium have similar chemical compositions (Silva et al, 2009; Carvalho et al, 2015; Carvajal et al, 2016; Souza et al, 2016; Amparo et al, 2019; Piva et al, 2019), with α- and β-amyrin also as major compounds (Maia et al, 2000; Souza et al, 2016; Tanamatayarat, 2016; Rosalem et al, 2017; Palermo et al, 2018). Studies of P. heptaphyllum, focusing on the pharmacological properties of the resin, have correlated the triterpenes α- and β-amyrin with effects on the central nervous system, and as treatments for breast cancer, inflammation, and pain (Pinto et al, 2008; Lima et al, 2014; Melo et al, 2019; Nogueira et al, 2019).…”

“…Plant secretions such as resins have important protective ecological roles. Increased resin contents during the rainy season reflect its intricate ecological function and increased exposure to herbivores and pathogens during that period (Coley & Barone, 1996; Carvajal et al, 2016; Piva et al, 2019).…”

Spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) Phytochemical Profile: Impact of Pre/Post-Harvest Processing and Extractive Recovery

“…Subsequently, 2 µL of essential oil was dissolved in 998 µL of hexane (dilution 1:500). The essential oil content was determined from the relative percentage of the compounds and the yield percentage of the essential oil [ 41 ]. For the analysis of terpenoid compounds in the samples, the evaluation of apolar solvent extractions and extraction with ethanol at 80% was carried out to obtain the terpenoids and determine their relative percentage compared to the essential oil.…”