PERFIL QUÍMICO E ATIVIDADES ANTIOXIDANTE E ANTIFÚNGICA DO ÓLEO ESSENCIAL DA FLOR DE COCHLOSPERMUM REGIUM SCHRANK

Abstract

In the Cerrado domain we can find numerous plant species that can produce essential oils as second-order metabolites, such as Cochlospermum regium, popularly known as “algodãozinho-do-cerrado”. The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical composition and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of essential oil extracted from C. regium flowers. The flowers of C. regium were collected in an area of Cerrado, in Rio Verde/GO, Brazil. The species was identified by the first author and an exsicata deposited in the herbarium (IF Goiano). To extract the essential oil, 100g of flowers were used and hydrodistilled in Clevenger type apparatus. The yield of the essential oil was determined. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatograph associated with mass spectrometry (CG-EM) and its antioxidant potential was evaluated by the free radical sequestration technique DPPH. The average yield of essential oil was 0.099%. During GC-MS analysis, 32 compounds were identified, including caryophyllene E (9.76%), γ-muurolene (16.69%) and bicyclogermacrene (39.82%). The antioxidant activity presented concentrations between 50 and 2 mg mL^-1 100% reduction of the DPPH radical, and reductions between 1 and 0.031 mg mL^-1 of 85.77 and 13.18% (EC₅₀). It is concluded that the essential oil of C. regium showed low extraction yield, however rich in hydrocarbon and oxygenated sesquiterpene compounds, and as an exceptional antioxidant and natural antifungal agent in the control of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Thus, the essential oil of C. regium flowers presents a strong candidate for new research that can be applied in the health, agricultural and food areas.