Chemical composition, antioxidant potential, and toxicity of essential oils from <i>Xylopia aromatica</i> (lam) mart. and <i>Eugenia dysenterica</i> (mart.) DC from the Brazilian Cerrado

Essential oils from native Cerrado species are promising sources of bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. This study investigated the chemical composition and biological properties of essential oils obtained from the leaves of Xylopia aromatica and Eugenia dysenterica collected in Cerrado. Oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and characterised by GC–MS. The X. aromatica oil demonstrated a predominance of monoterpenes, with limonene (39.8%) and spathulenol (25.6%), the major constituents, while E. dysenterica oil was characterised by high levels of α-pinene (25.9%) and β-pinene (26.5%). Both essential oils exhibited high toxicity in the Artemia salina bioassay, with E. dysenterica showing higher potency (ED50 3.27 µg mL−1) compared to X. aromatica (ED50 24.15 µg mL−1). Qualitative antioxidant activity was observed by DPPH–TLC bioautography, whereas no allelopathic effects were detected on Lactuca sativa germination. These findings provide novel regional data and highlight the biotechnological potential of Cerrado plant resources.