Abstract

TEPIXTLE-COLOHUA, Verónica Virginia et al. Antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of essential oil from aromatic bay leaves (Litsea glaucescens Kunth). Polibotánica [online]. 2023, n.55, pp.95-107.  Epub May 26, 2023. ISSN 1405-2768.  https://doi.org/10.18387/polibotanica.55.7.

The aromatic laurel (Litsea glaucescens) is a non-timber forest plant species widely used in Mexico. Currently Litsea glaucescens is registered in the Official Mexican Standard (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2019) with the category of P (danger of extinction), it is used as a condiment in food, for the treatment of inflammation, stomach infection, vomiting, colic and diseases of the central nervous system, among others. In this work, the essential oil was obtained from bay leaves from three locations: Chignahuapan, Puebla, Nopalillo, Hidalgo and Zongolica, Veracruz, as well as from four commercial samples. From each oil sample, the antioxidant capacity was evaluated, using the ABTS method and the cytotoxic activity by means of the Artemia salina bioassay, in addition the composition of the essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography. The highest antioxidant capacity was observed for the essential oil of the leaves collected in Zongolica, Veracruz with 10.72 ± 0.37 μmol ET / μL, this sample also showed a greater cytotoxic capacity (CL 50 of 59.0 μg / mL). It was found that the essential oil of laurel from the collection of Chignahuapan, Puebla contains about 42 components, of which the majority were: 34.99% eucalyptol (1,8-cineole), 7.31% 1R-α-pinene, 6.01% L-limonene, 4.62% L-β-pinene, 4.46% bornyl acetate, 4.12% 4-terpineol, 3.85% camphene, 3.06% γ-terpinene and 2.92% caryophyllene. The content of mono and sesquiterpenes (44.37%) in essential oils could be related to their antioxidant and cytotoxic capacity.

Keywords : Litsea glaucescens; cytotoxicity; Artemia salina; Gas chromatography; ABTS assay; aromatic laurel.

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