ABSTRACT
The Baccharis genus has more than 400 species of aromatic plants. However, only approximately 50 species have been studied in oil composition to date. From these studies, very few take into consideration differences between male and female plants, which is a significant and distinctive factor in Baccharis in the Asteraceae family. Baccharis articulata is a common shrub that grows wild in south Brazil, northern and central Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is considered to be a medicinal plant and is employed in traditional medicine. We report B. articulata male and female volatile composition obtained by simultaneous distillation-extraction technique and analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. Also, an assessment of aromatic differences between volatile extracts was evaluated by gas chromatography with olfactometry. The results show a very similar chemical composition between male and female extracts, with a high proportion of terpene compounds of which ß-pinene, limonene and germacrene D are the main components. Despite the chemical similarity, great differences in aromatic profile were found: male plant samples exhibited the strongest odorants in number and intensity of aromatic attributes. These differences explain field observations which indicate differences between male and female flower aroma, and might be of ecological significance in the attraction of pollinating insects.
Subject(s)
Baccharis/chemistry , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods , Olfactometry/methods , Plant Extracts/analysis , Baccharis/physiology , Bicyclic Monoterpenes , Bridged Bicyclo Compounds/analysis , Chromatography, Thin Layer , Cyclohexenes/analysis , Distillation , Limonene , Monoterpenes/analysis , Odorants/analysis , Oils, Volatile/analysis , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Plants, Medicinal/physiology , Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane/analysis , Temperature , Terpenes/analysis , Volatile Organic Compounds/analysisABSTRACT
Las plantas medicinales constituyen un recurso invalorable por su potencialidad farmacológica que hace necesario estudiarlas ante la demanda de nuevos fármacos, especialmente con actividad antifúngica. La flora de Entre Ríos (Argentina) posee numerosas especies con antecedentes etnobotánicos de uso como antisépticos en heridas. Los extractos de 6 especies vegetales seleccionadas fueron evaluadas en su actividad antifúngica mediante el método de microdilución en caldo, contra cepas tipificadas de Aspergillus niger y Trichophyton rubrum. Con excepción de Castela tweedii, las demás especies ensayadas, Baccharis articulata, Blepharocalyx salicifolius, Eichhornia azurea, Ludwigia peploides y Schinus fasciculatus, mostraron actividad in vitro en alguno de sus extractos, lo que auspicia la continuidad de los estudios.
Medicinal plants are a valuable resource due to its pharmacological potentiality ant its study is necessary in the face of the demand of new drugs specially those having antifungal activity. The Entre Ríos (Argentina) has many species with ethnobotanical backgrounds used as antiseptic agent for wounds. Extracts from 6 selected vegetal species were assessed for its antifungal activity by broth microdilution to typified strains of Aspergillus nigery Trichophyton rubrum. Except for Castela tweedii, the other assayed species, Baccharis articulate, Blepharocalyx salicifolius, Eichhornia azurea, Ludwigia peploides and Schinus fasciculatus showed in vitro activity in some extracts, being necessary a continuing study.
ABSTRACT
Diferentes espécies de Baccharis são conhecidas popularmente como carqueja e empregadas indistintamente na medicina tradicional como estomáquicas e diuréticas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo contribuir para a determinação de parâmetros para o controle de qualidade e aplicação na indústria de fitoterápicos, através da análise de quatro espécies de carqueja: Baccharis dracunculifolia DC., B. articulata (Lam.) Pers., B. cylindrica (Less.) DC. e B. gaudichaudiana DC. De um modo geral, B. dracunculifolia apresentou os maiores teores de umidade e de perda por dessecação, enquanto que B. articulata mostrou os maiores índices afrosimétrico e de amargor e teores de extratos secos a frio e a quente e de cinzas totais. B. dracunculifolia foi a espécie que apresentou maior rendimento do óleo volátil. Alguns componentes do óleo volátil ocorrem nas quatro espécies, porém cada uma delas apresentou um perfil cromatográfico característico.
Different species of Baccharis are commonly known as carqueja and are used indistinctly in the traditional medicine as stomachic and diuretic. This research aimed to carry out the drug analysis of Baccharis dracunculifolia DC., B. articulata (Lam.) Pers., B. cylindrica (Less.) DC. and B. gaudichaudiana DC. In general, B. dracunculifolia showed the highest results of water content, essential oil and loss on drying, while B. articulata showed the highest foam and bitter indices, ash and water soluble extractive results. Some components of the essential oil appeared in the four species, although each one showed a charateristic chromatographic profile by TLC analysis.
