Biological Activities and Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from Hedyosmum purpurascens (Todzia)—An Endemic Plant in Ecuador

Resumen

<i>Hedyosmum purpurascens</i> is an endemic species found in the Andes of Ecuador and it is characterized by its pleasant smell. In this study, essential oil (EO) from <i>H. purpurascens</i> was obtained by the hydro-distillation method with a Clevenger-type apparatus. The identification of the chemical composition was carried out by GC-MS and GC-FID in two capillary columns, DB-5ms and HP-INNOWax. A total of 90 compounds were identified, representing more than 98% of the total chemical composition. Germacrene-D, <i>ϒ</i>-terpinene, α-phellandrene, sabinene, <i>O</i>-cymene, 1,8-cineole and <i>α</i>-pinene accounted for more than 59% of the EO composition. The enantioselective analysis of the EO revealed the occurrence of (+)-α-pinene as a pure enantiomer; in addition, four pairs of enantiomers were found (α-phellandrene, o-cymene, limonene and myrcene). The biological activity against microbiological strains and antioxidants and the anticholinesterase properties were also evaluated and the EO showed a moderate anticholinesterase and antioxidant effect, with an IC₅₀ value of 95.62 ± 1.03 µg/mL and a SC₅₀ value of 56.38 ± 1.96. A poor antimicrobial effect was observed for all the strains, with MIC values over 1000 µg/mL. Based on our results, the <i>H. purpurasens</i> EO presented remarkable antioxidant and AChE activities. Despite these promising results, further research seems essential to validate the safety of this medicinal species as a function of dose and time. Experimental studies on the mechanisms of action are essential to validate its pharmacological properties.