Chemical composition and biological activity of volatile extracts from leaves and fruits of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi from Tunisia

PIRAS, ALESSANDRA;Marzouki, Hanen;Falconieri, Danilo;PORCEDDA, SILVIA;Gonçalves, Maria José;Cavaleiro, Carlos;Salgueiro, Ligia

2017-01-01

---

Abstract

Volatile oils composition from leaves and ripe fruits of pink pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) growing in Tunisia were investigated using GC-FID and GC-MS techniques. Volatile oil extraction was achieved by hydrodistillation (HD) using a Clevenger apparatus and by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using carbon dioxide. All plant organs, gave SFE extracts chiefly composed by α-pinene, α-phellandrene, β-phellandrene, germacrene D and bicyclogermacrene. In the case of the fruits, both extraction techniques gave volatile oils of similar composition; whereas the comparison between the HD and SFE leave oils revealed important differences in the content of α-pinene (6.1 % vs traces), α-phellandrene (22.7 % vs 0.8 %) and β-phellandrene (14.6 % vs 1.2 %). All volatile samples were evaluated against yeasts and dermatophyte strains, being more active against Cryptococcus neoformans, particularly the volatile oil from the fruits, with MIC values of (0.32-0.64) mg/mL. Moreover, this oil revealed an inhibitory effect on germ tube formation in C. albicans at sub-inhibitory concentration. At the concentration of MIC/8 the inhibition of filamentation was more than 70 %.