Chemical composition of essential oils and anticholinesterasic activity of Eugenia sulcata Spring ex Mart.

The chemical composition of the essential oils from leaves and stems of Eugenia sulcata Spring ex Mart., obtained by hydrodistillation, was analyzed by GC-MS and quantified by CG-FID. In all, 37 components were identified and sesquiterpenes represented the largest fraction of both oils, in the leaves (58.2%) and stems (85.3%). The major constituent found in the essential oil from leaves and stems of E. sulcata was beta-caryophyllene, corresponding to 24.6% and 18.8%, respectively. The substances alpha-cubebene (1.1%), beta-copaene (0.5%), cis-muurola-3,5-diene (0.6%), cis-muurola-4(14),5-diene (13%), gamma-himachalene (2.0%), epizonarene (0.8%), trans-calamenene (4.4%) and trans-cadina-1,4-diene (3.4%) were identified for the first time as chemical constituents of essential oil from leaves of E. sulcata. To our knowledge, this was the first phytochemical contribution to the essential oil from stems of E. sulcata. It was also performed the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory bioassay of the essential oil from leaves of E. sulcata, which was considered active and exhibited an IC50 value of 4.66 +/- 0.48 mu g.mL(-1).