Composition of essential oil and fatty acids and antioxidant assays of Psephellus pyrrhoblepharus (Boiss.) Wagenitz

Abstract

In this study, the essential oil of Psephellus pyrrhoblepharus (Boiss.) Wagenitz was obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. the oil was analysed by GC and GC/MS system. the components were separated as for adherence to the column and evaluated as for relative rate. Mass spectra of each component were taken. GC and GC/MS analyses of the essential oil from P. pyrrhoblepharus determined the identification of 59 components representing 84% of the oil. With this analysis, the major component was found as hexadecanoic acid (17.1%). Subsequent to this component, other major components were spatulenol (10.3%), caryophyllene oxide (9.6%) and heptacosane (5.2%). in addition to this, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from P. pyhhoblepharus were prepared for analysis of fatty acids. By this test the amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA) were 31.37% with major fatty acid palmitic acid (12.86%). Also, the antioxidant assays DPPH, ABTS, ORAC, CUPRAC and reducing power assay were carried on methanol:water, n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of P. pyrrhoblepharus. With the assays, ethyl acetate extract of P. pyrrhoblepharus was found as the most antioxidant extract. These data show that the plant is valuable for further studies.