Evaluación de la actividad antioxidante del aceite esencial foliar de myrcianthes leucoxyla de Norte de Santander (Colombia)

Abstract

The chemical composition and the antioxidant activity of leaf essential oil of the species Myrcianthes leucoxylain collected in the department of Norte de Santander (Colombia) were determined. The extraction of the oil was performed by steam stripping and the identification of the major components was done by High Performance Gas Chromatography. To determine the antioxidant activity of the oil two methods were employed: entrapment capacity of the radical cation ABTS+.and entrapment capacity of the radical DPPH. Inhibition with the DPPH.radical methodology did not exceed 15%, while with the radical ABTS+. the percent inhibition was higher. This suggest that in the essential oil studied hydrogen donors or electrons which can stabilize the radical cation ABTS+.are present.