Chemical Composition, Antifungal, and Cytotoxic Activities of Essential Oil From <i>Brunfelsia uniflora</i> Leaves

This study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition of the essential oil (EO) from Brunfelsia uniflora leaves and to evaluate its antifungal and cytotoxic activities. The EO was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID, leading to the identification of 39 compounds. The composition was predominantly terpenoid (65.7%), followed by non-terpenoid constituents (31.2%). The major compounds identified included phytol (13.2%), oleic acid (10.5%), phenylethyl alcohol (9.2%), and γ-eudesmol acetate (7.0%). The antifungal activity of the EO was evaluated against Candida species using the broth microdilution method. The EO exhibited strong inhibitory effects against C. albicans and C. orthopsilosis (MIC = 62.5 µg/mL), moderate activity against C. glabrata and C. rugosa (MIC = 250 µg/mL), and weak activity against C. tropicalis (MIC = 1000 µg/mL). The cytotoxic effects of the EO were assessed in human tumor cell lines (HeLa, MCF-7) and a nontumor fibroblast line (GM07492A). The EO demonstrated selective cytotoxicity toward HeLa (IC₅₀ = 21.9 µg/mL) and MCF-7 (IC₅₀ = 25.7 µg/mL), while exhibiting lower toxicity to fibroblasts (IC₅₀ = 131.9 µg/mL). The selectivity indices (SI = 6.0 for HeLa, 5.1 for MCF-7) suggest its potential as a promising therapeutic candidate for antifungal and anticancer applications.