A Novel Chemical Profile of a Selective In Vitro Cholinergic Essential Oil from Clinopodium taxifolium (Kunth) Govaerts (Lamiaceae), a Native Andean Species of Ecuador

A novel chemical profile essential oil, distilled from the aerial parts of Clinopodium taxifolium (Kunth) Govaerts (Lamiaceae), was analysed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS, qualitative analysis) and Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID, quantitative analysis), with both polar and non-polar stationary phase columns. The chemical composition mostly consisted of sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoids (>70%), the main ones being (E)-beta-caryophyllene (17.8%), alpha-copaene (10.5%), beta-bourbonene (9.9%), delta-cadinene (6.6%), cis-cadina-1(6),4-diene (6.4%) and germacrene D (4.9%), with the non-polar column. The essential oil was then submitted to enantioselective GC analysis, with a diethyl-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-beta-cyclodextrin diluted in PS-086 chiral selector, resulting in the following enantiomeric excesses for the chiral components: (1R,5S)-(-)-alpha-thujene (67.8%), (1R,5R)-(+)-alpha-pinene (85.5%), (1S,5S)-(-)-beta-pinene (90.0%), (1S,5S)-(-)-sabinene (12.3%), (S)-(-)-limonene (88.1%), (S)-(+)-linalool (32.7%), (R)-(-)-terpinen-4-ol (9.3%), (S)-(-)-alpha-terpineol (71.2%) and (S)-(-)-germacrene D (89.0%). The inhibition activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) of C. taxifolium essential oil was then tested, resulting in selective activity against BChE with an IC50 value of 31.3 +/- 3.0 mu g/mL (positive control: donepezil, IC50 = 3.6 mu g/mL).

Automated summary

The chemical composition and chiral components of the essential oil extracted from Clinopodium taxifolium were analyzed, showing a high percentage of sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoids. Enantiomeric excesses were measured for various chiral components. The oil demonstrated selective inhibitory activity against BChE with a lower IC50 value compared to the positive control.