Biological activity of essential oil from leaves of false pepper (Schinus molle L.)

AbstractPresent study was designed to determine the chemical profile and also to evaluate the antioxidant capacity as well as the insecticidal and antimicrobial activity of Schinus molle EO. The major chemical compounds found in leaf EO were elemol (9.028%), ß-phellandrene (12.104%) and a-phellandrene (16.613%). The remarkable antioxidant activity using FRAP and DPPH radicals were obtained with Schinus molle essential oil (142.52 µg/mL and 65.86 µg/mL, respectively). The inhibition growth was observed significantly for the yeast and bacterial strains. Toxicological-tests carried out by fumigation applications against mosquitoes (C. longiareolata) and stored product pest (S. granarius) revealed that this EO exhibited an insecticidal activity depending on the applied concentrations. The current investigation provides important clues for identifying alternative sources of bioactive compounds.