Planta Med 2009; 75 - PI32
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1234796

Essential oils of Dennettia tripetala Bak. f. stem bark and leaf. Constituents and biological activities

AA Gbolade 1, T Arcoraci 2, M D'Arrigo 2, FO Olorunmola 3, DM Biondi 4, G Ruberto 4
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu campus, Ogun State, Nigeria
  • 2Dipartimento Farmaco-Biologico, Università di Messina, Contrada Annunziata, I-98128 Messina, Italy
  • 3The Drug Research and Production Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
  • 4Istituto del C.N.R. di Chimica Biomolecolare Via del Santuario, 110I-95028 Valverde CT, Italy

Dennettia tripetala Bak. f. (Annonaceae) is a rain forest tree esteemed for its fruits and young leaves which are chewed on account of their pungent spicy taste [1]. Previous workers have documented essential oil constituents of the fruits [2], while Adeoti et al. reported leaf oil constituents from Benin [3]. We therefore analysed constituents of the stem-bark and leaf oil of the Nigeria-grown plant by combined GC and GC-MS, and also evaluated them for antimicrobial and anti-trichomonal activities, and protective effect against UVC-induced peroxidation. Both oils showed distinct chemical composition, in that leaf oil comprised seven components while stem bark oil had thirty. In both cases, 2-phenyl nitroethane was the preponderant component (over 70%), in addition to linalool (17.8%). Staphylococcus aureus was the only susceptible microorganism to both oils, and stem bark oil showed better antimicrobial activity (MIC, 62.50mg/ml). Both oils also showed moderate protective effect against UV radiation-induced damage in biomembranes, with the stem bark oil being more active. Anti-trichomonal activity of leaf oil was comparable to that of metronidazole.

1. Burkill, H.M. (1985) The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa (Families A-D) Royal Botanic Gardens, London.

2. Osisiogu, I.U.W. et al. (1975) Planta Med. 27:287–289.

3. Adeoti, S.B. et al. (2000)J. Essent. Oil Res. 12:412–414.