Activity guided fractionation of Sinningia allagophylla (Mart.) Wiehler ethanolic extract yielded a new benzochromene 8-methoxylapachenol, besides seven known compounds: lapachenol, sitosteryl oleate, sitosteryl linoleate, stigmasteryl oleate, stigmasteryl linoleate, dunniol and tectoquinone. Extract, fractions, and compounds lapachenol, 8-methoxylapachenol, and dunniol were tested in vitro against human cancer cell lines U251 (glioma, CNS), MCF-7 (breast), NCI-ADR/RES (drug-resistant ovarian), 786-0 (kidney), NCI-H460 (lung, no small cells), PC-3 (prostate), OVCAR-3 (ovarian), HT-29 (colon), K562 (leukemia) and against VERO, a normal cell line. The most active compound was dunniol, which inhibited the growth of U251, MCF-7, NCI-ADR/RES, OVCAR-3 and K562 cell lines.

The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves of Casearia lasiophylla Eichler, Salicaceae, was analyzed by gas capillary (GC/FID and GC/MS). The cytotoxicity of the leaves essential oil was tested in vitro againstU251 (glioma), UACC-62 (melanoma), MCF-7 (breast), NC1-ADR/RES (ovarian-resistant), NCI-H460 (lung), PC03 (prostate), OVCAR-3 (ovarian), HT-29 (colon) and K562 (leukemia) human cancer cells and against VERO (no cancer cell). The yield of oil was 0.02%. Fifty two compounds were identified, representing 87.1% of the total of the oil. The main components were identified as germacrene D (18.6%), β-caryophyllene (14.7%), δ-cadinene (6.2%), and α-cadinol (5.4%). The oil exhibited antiproliferative activity against all cell lines (TGI<100 µg/mL), with exception of NCI-H460 cell line (TGI 191.31 µg/mL). The highest activity was observed against UACC-62 (TGI 7.30 µg/mL), and K562 (TGI 7.56 µg/mL) cell lines. The observed activity could be related to high content of germacrene D and β-caryophyllene, compounds known as cytotoxic.

Os óleos essenciais, isolados por hidrodestilação de folhas e flores de Myrcia obtecta (O. Berg) Kiaersk. var. obtecta, Myrtaceae, coletadas a cada dois meses em Curitiba, Paraná, durante o período de outubro/2005 a agosto/2006, foram analisados por CG e CG/EM. Os óleos das folhas foram caracterizados pelo elevado conteúdo de sesquiterpenos cíclicos (cerca de 70%) e quantidades variáveis de monoterpenos (5,6-16,7%), compostos alifáticos (0,4-5,5%) e salicilato de metila (0,1-1,5%). Foram identificados 55 componentes, sendo que trans-calameneno (17,029,3%) foi o componente majoritário em todas as amostras. Não houve mudanças significativas na composição, excepto em outubro (floração) quando α-terpineol e trans-calameneno atingiram os maiores níveis (11,2% e 29,3%, respectivamente). O óleo das flores contém salicilato de metila (89%) como constituinte majoritário.

The essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from leaves and flowers of Myrcia obtecta (O. Berg) Kiaersk. var. obtecta, Myrtaceae, collected bimonthly in Curitiba, Paraná state, Brazil, from October/2005 to August/2006 were analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. Fifty-five components were identified in the leaf oils, which were characterized by predominance of cyclic sesquiterpenes (around 70%) and variable amounts of monoterpenes (5.616.7%), aliphatic compounds (0.4-5.5%) and methyl salicylate (0.1-1.5%). The major component in all samples was trans-calamenene (17.0-29.3%). The composition did not show significant seasonal variation, except in October (flowering) when α-terpineol and trans-calamenene peaked (11.2% and 29.3%, respectively). The flower oil was characterized by high content of methyl salicylate (89%).

The essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation from flowers and root bark of Gochnatia polymorpha (Less) Cabr. ssp floccosa Cabr. (Asteraceae) was analyzed by capillary GC/MS. Thirty components were identified in oil of flowers. The composition depends on the stage of flowering. At the beginning of flowering, the main components were (E)-nerolidol (20,4%) and eugenol (17,9%) whereas at the end they were phenylacetaldehyde (14,6%) and tricosane (12,0%). In the essential oil of root bark ten sesquiterpenes were identified. The major components were beta-bisabolene (31,0%) and beta-bisabolol (21,5%). This paper describes for the first time the composition of essential oil in the genus Gochnatia.