The essential oils chemical compositions and antimicrobial, antioxidant activities and toxicity of three Hyptis species.

BACKGROUND

Hyptis suaveolens (Linn.) Poit., Hyptis rhomboidea Mart. et Gal., and Hyptis brevipes Poit., are three species of Hyptis Jacq. (Lamiaceae). Hyptis suaveolens is used for the treatment of fever, headache, gastrointestinal bloating and rheumatism in the traditional folk medicine; Hyptis rhomboidea for hepatitis, ulcer and swollen poison; and Hyptis brevipes for asthma and malaria.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize chemical compositions of the oils from three Hyptis species and evaluate their potential antimicrobial, radical scavenging activities and toxicities against brine shrimp.

METHODS

The oils were obtained by hydrodistillation, and their chemical compositions were investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using the tube double-dilution technique. The antioxidant activities were investigated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and toxicities by the brine shrimp bioassay.

RESULTS

Forty-seven, 33 and 28 constituents of oils isolated, respectively, from H. suaveolens, H. rhomboidea and H. brevipes were identified. Among the essential oils, the strongest antioxidant activity was exhibited by H. brevipes with an SC₅₀ value of 2.019 ± 0.25 μg mL⁻¹. The H. brevipes oil exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activity (3.125-6.25 μg mL⁻¹) on pathogens employed in the assay. They all showed significant toxicities with median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) values of 62.2 ± 3.07 μg mL⁻¹, 65.9 ± 6.55 μg mL⁻¹ and 60.8 ± 9.04 μg mL⁻¹, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The three Hyptis species oils possess strong antimicrobial activities and toxicities. Hyptis rhomboidea and H. brevipes showed considerable antioxidant activity compared to the positive control.