The chemical composition and biological properties of citronella essential oil were modified by enzymatic esterification reaction of the major monoterpenic alcohols with cinnamic acid. The almost complete conversion of geraniol and citronellol present in the citronella () essential oil, into geranyl (99%) and citronellyl (98%) cinnamates was obtained after 48 hours of reaction using a molar ratio of 3:1 (cinnamic acid/alcohol), lipase concentration (Novozym 435) of 15% (w/w) and 70 °C. The esterified oil showed higher antimicrobial activity against bacteria resistant to oxacillin and penicillin and also greater larvicidal activity against larvae compared to unesterified oil.
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November 2016
Acmella oleracea, commonly known as jambú, is a great source of spilanthol, a secondary metabolite responsible for different kind of biological activities, such as the antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory bioactivities. The purpose of this work was to evaluate spilanthol content in A. oleracea plants obtained from three different cultivation conditions - in vitro, acclimatized and in field - and compare two different extraction techniques: maceration and microwave assisted extraction (MAE).
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