Abstract

For the first time, the chemical composition and cytotoxic evaluation of essential oils from leaves of Oxandra sessiliflora R. E. Fries (Annonaceae) has been reported. Leaves of O. sessiflora were collected in four different periods during the years 2010 (September and December) and 2011 (March and June). The essential oils, obtained by hydrodistillation procedures, were analyzed by Gas chromatography (GC) and Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Chemically, the predominance of hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes was detected (57.54 to 75.06%), with germacrene D (17.12 to 32.20%) and biclyclogermacrene (7.95 to 18.91%) as the main compounds. These oils were also composed of monoterpenes (9.65 to 17.02%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (4.42 to 11.43%). Additionally, the essential oils obtained from leaves collected in September, 2010 and March, 2011 were tested in vitro against murine (B16F10-Nex2) and human melanoma (A2058), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7), leukemia (HL-60), and cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cell lines. Since values of IC₅₀ to HL-60 cells were determined as approximately 6 µg/mL in both tested oils, the results suggested that the essential oils and their compounds could be used as prototypes for the development of new medicines for the treatment of human leukemia.

Key words: Oxandra sessiliflora, essential oil composition, intraspecific variation, in vitrocytotoxic potential.