Advanced Chemophenetic Analysis of Essential Oil from Leaves of Kunth (Piperaceae) Using a New Reduction-Oxidation Index to Explore Seasonal and Circadian Rhythms.

The aromatic species Kunth (Piperaceae) is widely used in Brazil for medicinal and ritualistic applications. In the current study, chemophenetic patterns were realized across season and circadian rhythm based on the chemical profile of essential oils (EOs) from leaves. Hydrodistilled essential oils were analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID, and a new calculation of metabolite oxidation level, averaged for each individual molecule component of the EO, was used to explore the patterns of metabolism/biosynthesis.