Essential Oil Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Guazuma Ulmifolia from Brazil
In this study, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and essential oil composition of Guazuma ulmifolia were investigated. The essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation (Clevenger apparatus) was investigated by GC-MS technique and thirty-one compounds were identified, consisting of a complex mixture of sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes. The main components in the oil were thymol (20.97%), carvacrol (13.76%), eugenol (10.13%), spathulenol (7.09%), β-caryophyllene (6.74%), sabinene (5.18%), globulol (5.56%), γ-terpinene (3.27) and α-copaene (3.17%). The antioxidant property of the oil was assessed by free radical scavenging (DPPH) assay. G. ulmifolia essential oil presented interesting radical scavenging activity (IC50=7.61 ± 0.09 μg/mL). The antibacterial activity of the oils also was tested by broth dilution method against 12 microorganisms. Essential oil showed good activity against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus (MIC=62.50 and 125.00 μg/mL, respectively), and moderately activity against E. coli and S. epidermidis (MIC=500 and 750 μg/mL, respectively). Investigated essential oil has a certain level of antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which may be attributed to their chemical compounds.