Dried Extracts and Essential Oils of Some Pelargonium Species: Chemical and Biological Assessment

Abstract

Our aim was to evaluate the beneficial properties of the most important groups of compounds present in the leaves of Pelargonium hispidum, P grandiflorum and P. radens. Given the studied species have a high content of polyphenols, the biologic activity was assessed by determination of free radical scavenging capacity against DPPH, and the investigation of superoxide anion radical scavenging capacity. The volatile fractions from the Pelargonium samples were separated by distillation with water vapors. Conditions such as the biological culture, temperature, humidity and natural lighting, influence plant production of volatile components. For the investigated samples, which grew under the same conditions, the species that had the highest quantity of essential oil was P. hispidum. Gas-chromatographic analysis of volatile oils from Pelargonium: hispidum, P. grandiflorum and P. radens revealed significant differences in the number and the type of volatile components. These variations were not surprising, given the different macroscopic and microscopic characteristics; yet, the low extraction yield did not allow the detailed biological study of these volatile compounds.