The Essential Oil from the Roots of Valeriana rigida Ruiz & Pav. Growing in the Paramos of Chimborazo (Ecuador): Chemical Analysis, Enantioselective Profile, and Preliminary Biological Activity

The essential oil (EO) obtained from the roots of <i>Valeriana rigida</i> Ruiz & Pav. (Caprifoliaceae), collected in the moorland region of Chimborazo Province, Ecuador, was analyzed for the first time. The chemical profile was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID, respectively. With both detectors, two stationary phases of different polarities were used. A total of 56 compounds were identified, and the most abundant components (>3% on at least one column) were a mixture of cyclosativene and α-ylangene (4.5-4.4%), α-copaene (9.0-8.8%), decanoic acid (16.0-15.6%), β-chamigrene (3.2-3.1%), δ-cadinene (9.7-9.5%), dodecanoic acid (13.4-12.3%), and 7-<i>epi</i>-α-eudesmol (5.0-4.9%), on a non-polar and polar stationary phase, respectively. Additionally, the enantioselective analysis showed (1<i>S</i>,5<i>S</i>)-(+)-α-pinene, (1<i>R</i>,4<i>S</i>)-(-)-camphene, (1<i>S</i>,5<i>S</i>)-(-)-β-pinene, and (1<i>R</i>,2<i>S</i>,6<i>S</i>,7<i>S</i>,8<i>S</i>)-(-)-α-copaene as enantiomerically pure compounds, whereas germacrene D exhibited both enantiomeric forms. The anti-inflammatory activity of <i>V. rigida</i> EO was comparable to that of aspirin, as indicated by the IC50 values, with no significant differences observed.