Abstract:
Current research has shown that volatile oils from Piper species exhibit promising biological activities. However, these effects remain underexplored in scientific literature. This study investigated the phytochemical profile and anthelmintic activity of volatile oils from Piper species, as well as their major constituents, against the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The oils were extracted from leaves by hydrodistillation, and the chemical components were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The efficacy of the oils was based on the 50% lethal concentration (LC50), and ivermectin was used as the positive control in mortality assays. This assay was performed in 10 concentrations of oil diluted in buffer solution containing 1.5% Tween 80 with 50 nematodes/well and incubated in 96-well plates at 24 °C for 24 h. After exposure, the nematodes were observed under an optical microscope and classified as living or dead. The volatile oils from Piper marginatum Haw. (LC50 0.41 and 0.51 mg/ml), P. auritum Kunth (LC50 0.67 and 0.77 mg/ml), and P. aduncum Vell. (LC50 1.27 and 1.69 mg/ml) demonstrated strong activity against both susceptible and resistant strains of C. elegans, respectively. Piper marginatum was significantly more effective against the resistant strain than the other oils were (p < 0.05). The relative abundances of the major compounds in the oils and their respective LC50 values (mg/ml) for compounds (E)-anethole (21.7%), safrole (4.1%), linalool (0.7%), eugenol (4%), and dillapiole (81%) were 0.041, 0.086, 0.165, 0.183, and 0.524 mg/ml, respectively, for the susceptible strain. For the resistant strain, the LC50 values were 0.056, 0.066, 0.355, 0.102, and 0.188 mg/ml, respectively. (E)-Anethole and safrole exhibited the highest efficiencies (p < 0.05). Our results demonstrate that volatile oils from Piper species and their constituents have notable activities. Notably, P. marginatum and its compound (E)-anethole were the most effective, indicating their potential as promising alternatives for the treatment of parasitic nematode infections in animals.
Referência:
SILVA, Naylene Carvalho Sales da; PEREIRA FILHO, Adalberto Alves; SOUSA, Dauana Mesquita; ARAÚJO, Rayssa de Queiroz; SILVA, Carolina Rocha; COSTA JUNIOR, Henrique Nelson Pereira; VALE, Tássia Lopes; STANTON, Mariana Alves; YAMAGUCHI, Lydia Fumiko; KATO, Massuo Jorge; COSTA JUNIOR, Livio Martins. Phytochemical composition and nematicidal activity of tropical piper species. Revista Brasileira de Farmocognosia, v.36, n.20, Jan., 2026. (on-line)
Acesso ao artigo no site do Periódico:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43450-025-00716-x