Evaluation of antioxidant activity of eucalyptus essential oils grown in Colombia

Abstract

In this work, the antioxidant activity of essential oils obtained from eucalyptus seed in the Cesar Department (Colombia) was evaluated. The extraction yields of essential oils varied between 0.59-1.24%. The chemical composition of essential oils from the eucalyptus leaves (tereticornis and camaldulensis) was evaluated by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The main components of the essential oils were eucalyptol (41-50%), α-pinene (7-13%), α-terpineol (3-7%) and β-pinene (2-4%). The antioxidant activity was determined by the techniques of Total Phenols (600-950 mg / L), FRAP (600-2500 mg / L), DPPH (440-600 μmol / L) and ORAC (60000-120000 μmol/L).