Potencialidades biológicas e identificação da composição química do óleo essencial de Aloysia Gratissima (Gillies & Hook.) Tronc. (verbenaceae)

Abstract

Essential oils (EO) are a natural liquid product synthesized by aromatic plants from their specialized defense metabolism. They have been used throughout history by human societies all over the world. They are obtained through the extraction of various parts of the plant, such as the flowers, leaves, branches, barks, fruits, and seeds. The extraction process produces liquid extracts with a characteristic odor and a wide range of volatile compounds. These compounds have potential for use as phytomedicines and phytodefense products. As a megabiodiverse country, Brazil has great potential for using its native plants to develop natural products. One of the most widespread plants in the Pampa Biome with great potential for EO extraction is Aloysia gratissima. Depending on the part of the plant used and the place and time of year of collection, the chemical composition and yield of EO from this species varies. Therefore, the aim was to determine the variation in yield and chemical compounds present in A. gratissima EO depending on the plant parts used and the different collecting sites. For this purpose, a two-step methodological approach was used. First, a systematic review was performed, followed by a field survey. The review was carried out on the articles published in the last 10 years on A. gratissima EO, its chemical compounds, and its biological activity. The field study was carried out using vegetative material of A. gratissima collected from two different geographical locations in the municipality of Sant'Ana do Livramento – RS, and then the EO was extracted. In addition to recording the yield, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to identify the chemical composition of the extracted EO. With these results, the chemical differences between the samples were evaluated and the debate on innovation based on the use of local biodiversity was encouraged