**Author details**

The composition of essential oils contributes significantly to the determination of the pharmacological potential attributed to the plant species (indicated mainly by the major compounds) and is constantly being transformed, due to factors external to the biology of the plants (edaphic or environmental) and/or intrinsic to the biology of plants (physiological and

Leaves Steam distillation 1,8-cineole (47.24–55.93),

Leaves Hydrodistillation α-Terpineol acetato

**Plant species (origin) Part of plant used Extraction method Main compounds** 

Essential oils of *Pimenta* are characterized by the presence of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and phenylpropanoids, and due to medicinal and economic interest, many researchers in different latitudes of the planet have been dedicated to carrying out studies to their chemical composition (**Table 1**), using basically three methods of extraction: steam distillation, hydro-

The subsequent text is reflected in **Table 1**; the chemical composition for species of genus *Pimenta* is analyzed by GC-MS and reported in the study consulted from 1921 to the present. All the information collected was organized taking into account plant species, origin, part of

According to the data reported in **Table 1**, the important qualitative and quantitative differences in the chemical composition of the essential oils of genus *Pimenta* can be estimated; the leaves have been the most studied part of the plant, followed by fruits and aerial parts. The conventional technique and the most used was the hydrodistillation using Clevenger apparatus. Of all the known species from genus *Pimenta* in South America, only *P. pseudocaryophyllus*, *P. racemosa*, and *P. dioica* have been collected. GC/MS analysis demonstrated the presence of volatile compounds with a content higher than 20% (area peak), such as eugenol (*P. dioica*, *P. haitiensis*, *P. jamaicensis*, *P. pseudocaryophyllus*, and *P. racemosa*), methyleugenol (*P. dioica*, *P. haitiensis*, *P. pseudocaryophyllus*, *P. racemosa*, *P. racemosa* var. *grisea*, *P. racemosa* var. *hispaniolensis*, and *P. racemosa* var. *racemosa*), 1,8-cineole (*P. dioica*, *P. haitiensis*, *P. jamaicensis*, *P. obscura*, *P. pseudocaryophyllus*, *P. racemosa*, *P. racemosa* var. *hispaniolensis*, *P. racemosa* var. *ozua*, and *P. racemosa* var. *racemosa*), and myrcene (*P. dioica*, *P. racemosa*, *P. racemosa* var. *hispaniolensis*, and *P. racemosa* var. *Racemosa*). It can also be seen that these compounds are mainly derivatives of

extraction, with gas chromatography coupled to mass spec-

**(area %)**

4-terpineol (5.05–15.67), α-terpineol (6.68–15.12), limonene (9.32–30.07)

(27.0), α-terpineol (20.0), 4-metoxi-eugenol (12.6), terpinen-4-ol (5.95)

**Reference**

[106]

[50, 109]

genetic) [14, 65, 66].

*P. racemosa* var. *ozua* (Dominican Republic)

30 Potential of Essential Oils

*P. racemosa* var. *terebinthina* (Dominican Republic)

distillation, and supercritical CO<sup>2</sup>

trometry (GC-MS) as analysis technique.

**Table 1.** Main compounds of essential oils from genus *Pimenta* (L).

phenylpropanoids and monoterpenes.

plant used, extraction method, and main compounds (area %).

Billmary Zuleyma Contreras-Moreno1,2,3\*

\*Address all correspondence to: billmary.contreras@gmail.com

1 Laboratory of Polymers and Colloids (POLYCOL), Faculty of Engineering, University of Los Andes (ULA), Mérida, Venezuela

2 Laboratory "C" of Natural Products, Research Institute, Faculty of Pharmacy and Bioanalysis, University of Los Andes (ULA), Mérida, Venezuela

3 Natural Products Research Group (GIPRONA), Nucleus University Rafael Urdaneta (NURR), University of Los Andes (ULA), Trujillo, Venezuela
