Chemical Profile and in vitro Biological Activities of Essential Oils of Nectandra puberula and N. cuspidata from the Amazon

Essential oils (EO) from leaves and branches of Nectandra puberula Schott (Nees) and from leaves of N. cuspidata Nees & Mart. were obtained by hydrodistillation and their chemical compositions determined by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main compounds identified from N. puberula EO were apiole (22.2%), β-caryophyllene (15.1%), β-pinene (13.3%), germacrene D (8.3%), pogostol (6.6%) and bicyclogermacrene (6.4%) in the leaves; and apiole (28.1%), pogostol (19.8%) and guaiol (11.2%) in the branches. The EO of N. cuspidata leaves showed β-caryophyllene (26.9%), bicyclogermacrene (16.0%) and spathulenol (5.2%) as the main compounds. The EOs were subjected to antibacterial screening and displayed promising activity against Escherichia coli (MIC = 19.5 μg.mL−1). In addition, the EOs were tested for cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast tumor cells and the IC50 values were 64.5 ± 1.6 and 117.1 ± 11.9 μg.mL−1 for the leaf EOs of N. puberula and N. cuspidata, respectively.