Leaf oils of Psidium cymosum urb. and Psidium sartorianum Niedz. from Cuba

Journal of Essential Oil Research: JEOR, May/Jun 2003 by Pino, Jorge A, Bello, Avilio, Urquiola, Armando, Aguero, Juan, Marbot, Rolando

Abstract

The chemical composition of the leaf oils of Psidium cymosum Urb. and Psidium sar-toranum Niedz. were studied by GC/MS. Thirty-three volatile compounds were identified in P. cymosum, of which T-cadinol (46.6%),1,8cineole (15.0%) and a-muurolol (11.8%) were the major ones. Twenty-one volatile compounds were identified in P. sartorianum, of which limonene (43.0%) and a-pinene (39.5%) were the major ones.

Key Word Index

Psidium cymosum, Psidium sartorianum, Myrtaceae, essential oil composition, T-cadinol, 1,8-cineole, alphamuurolol, limonene, alpha-pinene.

*Address for correspondence

Received: May 2000 Revised: August 2000

Accepted: September 2000

Introduction

Psidium genus (fam. Myrtaceae) is represented by 120150 species, distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics of the Americas and Australia (1). Most of these plant species are essential-oil-bearing plants. Two species, which grow wild in Cuba, are Pcymosum Urb. and P. sartorianum Niedz. (2).

P cymosum is a Cuban endemic bush, having small hairy stems with 3-5 cm orbicular to ovate-orbicular leaves with a round- to heart-shaped base. The plant is used ornamentally. P sartorianum, commonly named mije, isa bush or tree, sometimes up to 15 in high, with petiolated leaves, ovate or widely ovate, from 1.5-5 cm. The tree is frequently planted to harvest fruits that are juicy and have a pleasant tart flavor. On occasion, it is used as an ornamental plant. In some locales, the leaves are used for their tonic and digestive properties.

No previous work on the chemical composition of the leaf oils of these two Psidium species has been reported. As a result, in this paper, we have examined the volatile compounds of the leaf oils of these plants grown in Cuba.

Experimental

Plants were collected from Pinar del Rio in western Cuba. Voucher specimens have been deposited in the herbarium of the ISP Pinar del Rio.

Leaves were harvested and dried for 10 days at room temperature. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation for 5 h in a Clevenger-type apparatus. Yields were 0.04% and 3.6% for P. cymosum and P. sartorianumn, respectively.

The leaf oils were analyzed by GC/MS using a Fissons Trio 1000 instrument with an SPB-5 fused silica column (30 mx 0.25 mm, 0.25(mu)m film thickness). Initial oven temperature, 70deg C for 3 min, then to 250deg C at 4deg C/min and held for 10 min; injector temperature 250deg C, and carrier gas, 0.8 mL/min. Constituents were identified by comparison of their mass spectra with those in NBS or our IDENT dtabase, and confinned in many compounds by their relative retention indices. Mass spectra from the literature were also compared (3,4).

Results and Discussion

The volatile compounds identified in the leaf oil of P. cymosum from Cuba are listed in Table I. Major compounds in the oil are T-cadinol (46.6%), 1,8-cineole (15.0%) and alphamuurolol (11.8%).

The volatile compounds identified in the leaf oil of P. sartorianum from Cuba are presented in Table II. The oil was dominated by limonene (43.0%) and a-pinene (39.5%).

References

1. A. Cronquist,, An Integrated System of Classification ofFlowering Plants. Columbia University Press, New York (1981).

2. A.H. Liogier, Flora de Cuba. Suplemento. The New York Botanical Garden, Institute Cubano del Libro, La Habana (1974).

3. E. Stenhagen, S. Abrahamson and F. McLafferty, Registry of Mass Spectral Data. J. Wiley & Sons Inc., New York (1974).

4. R.P. Adams, Identification of Essential Oil Components by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy. Allured Publishing Corp., Carol Stream (1995).

Jorge A. Pino* Instituto de Investigacinoes para la Industria Alimenticia, Carr. Del Guatao km I/2, La Habana 19200, Cuba

Avilio Bello and Armando Urquiola Instituto Superior Pedagogico de pinar del Rio, Cuba

Juan Aguero Centro de Quimica-Farmaceutica, La Habana, Cuba

Rolando Marbot Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas, C. Habana, Cuba