ANÁLISE DO ÓLEO ESSENCIAL DE ELIONURUS MUTICUS (SPRENG.) KUNTZE POR CROMATOGRAFIA EM FASE GASOSA ACOPLADA À ESPECTROMETRIA DE MASSAS (CG-EM)

Abstract

Elionurus muticus (Spreng.) Kuntze, a grass species belonging to the family Poaceae, occurs in tropical and subtropical regions and is popularly known as “capim carona”. Traditionally, it has been used for its diaphoretic and antipyretic properties, although its full potential and characteristics are not yet completely known. In this study, the chemical profile of the essential oil of E. muticus was analyzed, along with the total ash content and loss on drying. The leaves were collected in the Nhecolândia region (Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil) and identified by the botanist prof. Dr. Geraldo Alves Damasceno Junior. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus, yielding 0.67% ± 0.09% and its chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 22 compounds were noted and the major constituents were (Z)-caryophyllene (27.93%), spathulenol (24.37%), caryophyllene oxide (15.17%) and bicyclogermacrene (8.23%). The mean total ash content was 3.56 ± 0.68%, while the humidity was 8.00 ± 0.81% determined by loss on drying. The results showed that the essential oil of E. muticus has a composition rich in hydrocarbon and oxygenated sesquiterpenes, highlighting the potential of the species, as well as contributing to the chemical and ecological understanding of the Pantanal biome in southern Mato Grosso do Sul.