Influence of Plant Age on Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity of Varronia curassavica Jacq. Essential Oil Produced on an Industrial Scale

Considering the therapeutic potential of Varronia curassavica Jacq. essential oil and the great value in the pharmaceutical market, this study aims to evaluate the influence of plant age on the chemical composition and biological activities of V. curassavica Jacq. essential oil. The plant age is a parameter that can influence the chemical composition of the essential oil, as well as its pharmacological potential. For this purpose, essential oils from aerial parts of V. curassavica produced at different ages (4, 10, 14 and 18 months-age) were used. According to chromatograms obtained by GC-MS, the essential oils were mainly composed of alpha-pinene, trans-caryophyllene, alpha-santalene, alloaromadendrene and alpha-humulene. The chemical composition of V. curassavica essential oils varied qualitatively and quantitatively with the aging of the plants, and the essential oils from plants at 18 month-age appeared to be the most distinct from the others. The tested essential oil samples showed inhibitory activity against Candida albicans (MIC = 1000 mu g/mL) but did not show antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria. The cytotoxic activity levels against the murine macrophages varied among the oils extracted from the plants at different ages; the IC50 values of the essential oils increased with age (171.90 mu g/mL at 18 month-age). More studies should be carried out to assess whether age also affects the therapeutic effects of essential oils, resulting in the manufacture of plant-derived formulations that balance production costs, toxicity and therapeutic effects.