Casearia sylvestris Essential Oil Degradation Products Generated by Leaf Processing

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Natural Products Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Casearia sylvestris, an endemic Latin American tree, yields essential oil (EO) with known anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective properties.
• Understanding the chemical variability of C. sylvestris EO is crucial for its medicinal applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the chemical composition of essential oil (EO) from different processing stages (in natura, fresh, dried) of two Casearia sylvestris varieties (var. sylvestris and var. lingua).
• To investigate how leaf processing affects the volatile profile and identify potential chemical transformations.

Main Methods:

• Essential oil (EO) was extracted from in natura, fresh, and dried leaves of C. sylvestris var. sylvestris and var. lingua using hydrodistillation.
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to analyze the chemical composition of the volatile fractions.

Main Results:

• Dried leaves yielded higher amounts of EO compared to fresh leaves for both varieties.
• Major components identified include (E)-caryophyllene, α-humulene, germacrene D, bicyclogermacrene, spathulenol, caryophyllene oxide, and humulene epoxide II.
• Leaf processing (drying and hydrodistillation) altered the volatile composition, decreasing sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and increasing oxygenated sesquiterpenes, likely due to oxidation of bicyclogermacrene and (E)-caryophyllene.

Conclusions:

• The chemical composition of Casearia sylvestris EO varies significantly based on leaf processing methods and plant variety.
• These compositional changes, particularly the transformation of volatile compounds, may influence the EO's biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective effects.