Essential Oil of Piper oradendron from the Pacific Slope of Guatemala

Abstract

Essential oils of leaves of the endemic species Piper oradendron Trel. & Standl. (Piperaceae) were obtained from three sites of the Guatemalan Pacific slope. The yields of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation varied from the site of collection (0.4-1.4%). The GC/MS analysis showed that sample A (Samayac) had up to 53 peaks that were identified, B (Popoyá) showed 31 peaks and C (Bulbuxyá) showed 22; major constituents were similar in the three samples, including α- and β-pinene (28.3-46.9%), germacrene D (10.7-22.7%), and iso-spathulenol (10.2-22-3%). This is the first report on the chemical composition of the essential oil of samples of P. oradendron from different provenances of Guatemala, suggesting little variability in its main components.