Extração e avaliação farmacológica de óleos essenciais de pimenta para fins tecnológicos

Abstract

With a wide variety of species in several botanical genera, peppers and their importance permeate humanity, whether in gastronomy, history, landscape, cosmetology, pharmacology and medicine. The main objective of this study was to analyze samples of dried and fresh pepper varieties, commonly used in the Triangulo Mineiro region, to obtain their respective essential oils by two extraction methods, namely Soxhlet and Clevenger. The peppers studied were: pimenta-do-reino-branca (Piper nigrum), pimenta-do-reino-preta (Piper nigrum), pimenta-da-Jamaica (Pimenta dioica), pimenta-rosa (Schinus terebinthifolius), pimenta-dedo-de-moça (Capsicum baccatum), pimenta-bode (Capsicum chinense), pimenta-biquinho (Capsicum chinense) and pimenta-malagueta (Capsicum frutescens). Subsequently, experiments were conducted to check antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans and Penicillium sp., as well as antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Essential oils/oleoresins with better results in bioassays were chemically analyzed by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry. Considering the antimicrobial activity, among oleoresins obtained by Soxhlet extracted samples all were active against B. cereus, against E. coli and S. aureus, only P. dioica, P. nigrum (b) P. nigrum (p) and S. terebinthifolius. Among the essential oils obtained by Clevenger, only samples of P. dioica, P. nigrum (b), P. nigrum (p) and S. terebinthifolius presented activities. With respect to antifungal activity, the essential oils/oleoresins P. nigrum (b), P. nigrum (p), C. chinense (b), C. chinense (bq), C. baccatum and C. frutescens showed no inhibition. Essential oils/oleoresins of P. dioica showed activity against all microorganisms and essential oils/oleoresins of S. terebinthifolius did not show activity only against A. niger. That said, the biotechnological applicability of bioactive essential oils/oleoresins proves to be interesting, with great importance in the pharmaceutical area.