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Abstract
Context: Lippia thymoides Mart. & Schauer (Verbenaceae) is used in folk medicine to treat wounds, fever, bronchitis, rheumatism, headaches, and weakness.
Objective: This study determinates the chemical composition of essential oils from L. thymoides, obtained at during each of the four seasons and correlates with pharmacological properties.
Materials and methods: Essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging and β-carotene bleaching methods. The antimicrobial assays were performed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) methods. Isolated rat aorta and uterus, and guinea-pig trachea were utilized to evaluate relaxant potential in pre-contracted smooth muscle.
Results and discussion: Essential oils from leaves of L. thymoides had the sesquiterpene β-caryophyllene (17.22–26.27%) as the major constituent followed by borneol (4.45–7.36%), camphor (3.22–8.61%), camphene (2.64–5.66%), and germacrene D (4.72–6.18%). In vitro assays showed that these essential oils do not have antioxidant activity, have antimicrobial selectivity to Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 0.004 mg/mL and MMC = 0.26–10.19 mg/mL) and Micrococcus luteus (MIC = 0.03 mg/mL and MMC = 8.43 mg/mL), relax isolated rat aorta (EC50 = 305–544 μg/mL, with endothelium; and EC50 = 150–283 μg/mL, without endothelium), and uterus (EC50 = 74–257 μg/mL), and minor potency, isolated guinea-pig trachea.
Conclusions: Lippia thymoides is a source of natural products of pharmaceutical interest, being necessary additional studies to determine the substances involved in the biological activities.
Declaration of interest
The authors report that they have no conflicts of interest. This study was supported by grants from Brazilian agencies Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (FAPESB).