Composición química y actividades biológicas del aceite esencial de hojas de hierba luisa (Cympopogon citratus [D.C.] Stapf.) cultivado en el Ecuador amazónico

Cymbopogon citratus (D.C.) Stapf., commonly known as lemongrass or “hierba luisa”, is widely cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions due to its aromaticand medicinal properties. The essential oil from leaves has many pharmacological activities reported. The present paper reports the chemical composition and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil of leaves from plants grown in the Amazonian Ecuador. The essential oil was obtained by steam distillation. Analyses of the essential oil were performed by gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass selective detectors. Seventy compounds were identified in the essential oil. Oxygenated compounds were the most represented class of volatiles (86%), including neral (33.2 %) and geranial (39.8 %) as major compounds. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the second class (10.7 %) with myrcene (9.6 %) as predominant. Antioxidant properties of the essential oil were determined by ABTS and FRAP methods. The essential oil had a low radical-scavenging activity and it showed ferric reducing capacity, while it has antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Enteritidis, followed by E.coli and very low against Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger and Pennicilium citrinum.