Bioactivity evaluation of the native Amazonian species of Ecuador: Piper lineatum Ruiz & Pav. essential oil

In the present research, the essential oil from Piper lineatum Ruiz & Pav. was analysed by GC/MS and GC/FID, respectively. A total of thirty-seven chemical compounds were identified, which represented 98.9% of the essential oil composition. The main compounds were apiole (21.5%), safrole (19.2%), and myristicin (13.8%), respectively. The in vitro antimicrobial activity and antifungal activity of the oil was assayed against two Gram positive bacteria, five Gram negative bacteria and two fungi. The essential oil from P. lineatum showed an inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 9997), and against dermatophytic fungus Trichophyton rubrum (ATCC 28188) with a MIC of 500 μg/mL in both cases. The antioxidant activity of essential oil was explored using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging method, by means of both assays the essential oil showed a weak antioxidant activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the chemical composition and biological activity of essential oil from this species.