Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Sep 23;7(10):59.
doi: 10.3390/medicines7100059.

Composition and Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oil from Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. from Guatemala

Max Samuel Mérida-Reyes  1 , Manuel Alejandro Muñoz-Wug  1 , Bessie Evelyn Oliva-Hernández  1 , Isabel Cristina Gaitán-Fernández  2 , Daniel Luiz Reis Simas  3 , Antonio Jorge Ribeiro da Silva  3 , Juan Francisco Pérez-Sabino  1
Affiliations

Composition and Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oil from Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. from Guatemala

Max Samuel Mérida-Reyes et al. Medicines (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Pimenta dioica is a native tree of Central America, Southern Mexico, and the Caribbean used in traditional medicine. It grows in wet forests in the Guatemalan departments of Petén and Izabal. Since the plant is not being economically exploited in Guatemala, this study was aimed at determining the composition of the essential oil of P. dioica leaves and fruits and the antibacterial activity of the leaves in order to evaluate its possible use in health products. The essential oils of fruits and leaves are used as rubefacient, anti-inflammatory, carminative, antioxidant, and antiflatulent in different countries. Fruits and leaves of P. dioica from Izabal Department were collected in April 2014 and extracted by hydrodistillation method. The oils were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Yields of 1.02 ± 0.11% for dried leaves and 1.51 ± 0.26% for fruits were obtained. Eugenol was the main component (65.9-71.4%). The leaf oil showed growth inhibition against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacteria. The authors consider that the tree's leaves can be evaluated as a source of ingredients for antiseptic products, and that it is important to evaluate other types of properties such as anti-inflammatory activity.

Keywords: eugenol; gas chromatography; mass spectrometry; traditional medicine.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Antibacterial tests of the essential oil of leaves of P. dioica against (a) E. coli, (b) B. subtilis, and (c) S. aureus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. McVaugh R. Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana Bot. 1963;24:382–385.
    1. Raghavan S. Handbook of Spices, Seasonings, and Flavorings. 2nd ed. CRC Press; Boca Raton, FL, USA: 2006. pp. 64–66.
    1. NIIR Board of Consultants & Engineers . The Complete Book on Spices & Condiments (with Cultivation, Processing & Uses) 2nd ed. Asia Pacific Business Press Inc.; New Delhi, India: 2008. pp. 37–38.
    1. Nakatani N. Antioxidative and Antimicrobial Constituents of Herbs and Spices. In: Charalambous G., editor. Spices, Herbs and Edible Fungi. 1st ed. Elsevier; Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 1994. pp. 251–271.
    1. Volpato G., Godínez D., Beyra A., Barreto A. Uses of medicinal plants by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagüey, Cuba. J. Ethnobiol. Ethnomed. 2012;13:1900–1906. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-5-16. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources