Abstract

The plant Siparuna guianensis is used in traditional medicine and has been the target of studies on the development of new drugs for the control of pests and vector insects. The present study was aimed to evaluate the seasonal influence on the content and composition of the essential oil of S. guianensis. The experiment was conducted for 12 months evaluating the yield of the essential oil of leaves throughout the seasons (autumn, winter, spring and summer). The chemical composition of the essential oil was obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The highest oil yield was in autumn and winter, comprising 0.33 and 0.29% (w/w), respectively. The major compound identified was β-myrcene (48.59-24.2%), followed by epicurzerenone (27.24-13.7%) being the most abundant; germacrene D showed lower values of 9.93% in autumn and 13.5-14.34% in the other seasons, besides curzerene that had no production in autumn. The É£-elemene component had a higher production of 7.29% in autumn. Compound 2-undecanone did not show significant seasonal changes, with percentages being between 7.26 and 5.43%. The monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes showed similar levels in autumn; however, in the other seasons (winter, spring, and summer), the sesquiterpenes presented higher concentration, reaching 68.54% in summer. The components identified in the essential oil of S. guianensis exhibit interesting biological activities, making this essential oil a promising compound for the development of new biodegradable drugs, repellents, and insecticides. The knowledge about the yield and seasonal composition is fundamental to optimize and maximize the obtainment of compounds of interest for the production of new drugs.

Key words: Medicinal plant, negramina, seasonal production, essential oil, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).