Ocotea nutans (Nees) Mez (Lauraceae): chemical composition, antioxidant capacity and biological properties of essential oil

The present study was undertaken to assess the potential uses of the essential oil obtained from Ocotea nutans (Nees) Mez. The hydrodistilled essential oil from O. nutans leaves was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fifty-eight compounds representing 87,29% of the total leaf essential oil components were identified, of which biciclogermacrene(11.41%), germacrene-D (4.89%), bisabolol-11-01(3.73%) and spathulenol (3.71%) were the major compounds. The essential oil from O. nutans were tested for antibacterial activity using the minimum inhibitory concentracion (MIC) method, Artemia sauna method, larvicidal activity in Aedes aegypti, and antioxidant capacity. The antioxidant activity measured by the phosphomolybdenum complex and Prussian blue method had positive results. The minimum inhibitory concentration for the microorganisms tested allowed moderate inhibition for Enterococcus faecalis (MIC=500 mu g/mL). Artemia sauna were toxic to the organisms in the study (LC50 = 71,70 mu g/mL). The essential oil showed remarkable larvicidal activity potencial (LC50 = 250 mu g/mL). The present results showed that O. nutans essential oil has potential biological uses.