Phytochemical investigation of the essential oil from the 'resurrection plant' Myrothamnus moschatus (Baillon) Niedenzu endemic to Madagascar

The composition of the essential oil hydrodistilled from the aerial parts of the 'resurrection plant' Myrothamnus moschatus (Baillon) Niedenzu endemic to Madagascar was investigated for the first time by gas chromatography (GC/ flame ionization detector and GC/mass spectrometry). Forty components were identified in the oil, representing 98.2- 98.6% of the total composition. The oil composition was dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes (73.5-75.0%), with trans-pinocarveol (35.6-36.3%) and pinocarvone (19.8-20.0%) as the most representative. Other components occurring in significant amounts were β-selinene (8.5%) and perillyl acetate (6.0-12.7%). No significant differences were detected in the major volatiles between the two different biological forms (flowering period and dry season) in which the plant naturally occurs

Chemical Characterization and Antioxidant Potential of Athroisma proteiformis Essential Oil

International audienc

In vitro biological activities of the essential oil from the ‘resurrection plant’ Myrothamnus moschatus (Baillon) Niedenzu endemic to Madagascar

The essential oil of the ‘resurrection plant’ Myrothamnus moschatus (Baillon) Niedenzu endemic to Madagascar, where it is used in traditional medicine, was investigated for the first time for some biological activities. GC-FID and GC-MS analyses revealed trans-pinocarveol (35.6%), pinocarvone (20.0%), beta-selinene (8.5%) and perillyl acetate (6.0%) as the major essential oil constituents. The oil strongly inhibited MDA-MB 231 (human breast adenocarcinoma) cells, with an IC50 of 15 ugmL1, and the growth of Candida albicans, with an inhibition diameter of 18 mm, while its antioxidant activity, measured by DPPH and ABTS assay, proved to be negligible