Chemical Characterization, Antioxidant, Insecticidal and Anti-Cholinesterase Activity of Essential Oils Extracted from Cinnamomum verum L.

Abstract

This study is aimed at evaluating the potential of the essential oil of Cinnamomum verum (EOCV) as an antioxidant, as an insecticide against Callosobruchus maculatus and for its anti-acetylcholinesterase activity. To this end, EOCV was extracted via hydrodistillation from this plant, and the identification of the phytochemicals was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The antioxidant power was determined via in vitro tests, the insecticidal ability was tested via exposing C. maculatus to EOCV, and molecular docking was used to evaluate the anti-cholinesterase ability. The results of these GC–MS analyses show that the main composition of EOCV comprises Cinnamaldehyde dimethyl acetal (64.50%), cinnamicaldehyde (35.04%) and α-Copaene (0.11%). The insecticidal potential of the studied OEs, determined by using the inhalation test, and expressed as the concentration of EOs required for the death of 50% of the insects (LC50) and that required the death of 95% of adults (LC95) after 96 h of exposure, was 3.99 ± 0.40 and 14.91 ± 0.10 μL/L of air, respectively. In the contact test, 96 h of exposure gave an LC50 and LC95 of 3.17 ± 0.28 and 8.09 ± 0.05 μL/L of air, respectively. A comparison of the antioxidant activity of EOCV to that of ascorbic acid via DPPH free radical scavenging ability and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) revealed the IC50 and EC50 values of EOCV to be much higher than that obtained for ascorbic acid, and the molecular docking simulation revealed Coumarin, Piperonal, Cinnamaldehyde dimethyl and alpha-Copaene as possessing potential inhibitory activities against human acetylcholinesterase. However, further experimental validation is needed to enhance the prospects of this study.