Ciência Rural ()

Antimicrobial activity and chemical constituents of essential oils and oleoresins extracted from eight pepper species

  • Laira Martinelli,
  • Jessica Miranda Rosa,
  • Carolina dos Santos Bragine Ferreira,
  • Gustavo Marcelo da Luz Nascimento,
  • Mateus Silveira Freitas,
  • Luiz Carlos Pizato,
  • Wanderson de Oliveira Santos,
  • Ricardo Francisco Pires,
  • Mônica Hitomi Okura,
  • Geoffroy Roger Pointer Malpass,
  • Ana Claudia Granato

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20160899
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 47, no. 5

Abstract

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ABSTRACT: Essential oils are the most important compounds produced during secondary metabolism in aromatic plants. Essential oils are volatile, have characteristic odor and are used as defensive agents by plants. In pepper, it is possible to say that essential oils are the “flavor fingerprint” of each species. In the present article, eight species of pepper were studied in order to extract their essential oils and oleoresins, test their antibacterial and antifungal activities and also to identify the compounds present in the most bioactive samples. Results demonstrated that two essential oils [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. and Schinus terebinthifolius] and three oleoresins (Schinus terebinthifolius and Piper nigrum white and black) recorded significant antimicrobial activity. These active essential oils and oleoresins are interesting for use in biotechnological processes employed in food, pharmaceutical and other industries.

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