Essential oil of flowers from eugenia klotzschiana (myrtaceae): Chemical composition and in vitro trypanocidal and cytotoxic activities

Abstract

Chagas disease, which is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, has been commonly treated by nifurtimox and benzonidazole, two drugs that cause several side effects. As a result, the use of natural products for treating neglected diseases has increased in recent years and plants have become a promising alternative to developing new medicines. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil from fresh flowers of Eugenia klotzchiana and to evaluate for the first time its trypanocidal and cytotoxic potential in vitro. The essential oil from the fresh flowers was obtained by hydrodistillation carried out by a Clevenger apparatus and its chemical composition was determined by GC-MS. The main compounds found in the essential oil were sesquiterpenoids: β-caryophyllene (21.1%), bicyclogermacrene (10.2%) and spathulenol (20.9%). Results showed that the essential oil had strong trypanocidal activity against the trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi (IC50 = 20.2 μg/mL) and moderate cytotoxicity against fibroblasts in the concentration range (CC50 = 220.3 μg/mL). In short, the essential oil from fresh flowers of Eugenia klotzchiana can be considered a new source of bioactive compounds for the development of antiparasitic drugs.