Chemical composition and antiprotozoal potential of essential oil from half-sib progenies of Varronia curassavica Jacq.
Vanderson dos Santos Pinto, Arie Fitzgerald Blank, Alexandre Nizio Maria, Daniela Aparecida de Castro Nizio, Paulo Cesar de Lima Nogueira and Peterson Emmanuel Guimaraes Paixão
Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate chemical characteristics and biological activity of progenies from the first cycle of recurrent selection of Varronia curassavica in order to identify promising progenies for the next stages of the breeding program. The seeds were collected from the parental accession VCUR-503 (chemotype E-caryophyllene/viridiflorol) and subsequently sown in seedling containers and transplanted to the field. The essential oil was extracted 300 days after transplanting, and the levels of E-caryophyllene and viridiflorol were analyzed, as well as their activity against the protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Application of the recurrent selection method resulted in increased levels of both compounds. The levels of E-caryophyllene (0.00-23.61%) and viridiflorol (0.00-64.74%) exhibited significant variation within the population under study. The essential oil rich in viridiflorol from progenies led to high mortality (72%) of the protozoan. Promising progenies for the second cycle of recurrent selection were identified based on the variables analyzed.