Euclésio Simionatto, Caroline Z. Stüker, Carla Porto, Ionara I. Dalcol, Ubiratan F. da Silva and Ademir Farias Morel,* Edésio L. Simionatto and Alberto W. Júnior

Abstract: The essential oils of Pluchea quitoc, which were obtained from aerial parts of two samples (A and B) from two different collection locations from South of Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Forty-two compounds representing ca 98.0% and 90.5% were identified in the oils of samples A and B, respectively. Sesquilavandulyl acetate (7.6 - 24.1%), sesquilavandulol (8.2 - 24.3%) and α-gurjunene (20.0-20.5%) were the major components. The antimicrobial activity of the oils, sesquilavandulol acetate and sesquilavandulol is also reported.

Pluchea quitoc know as “quitoco” is an aromatic shrub found throughout the greater part of Southern of Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul). It has been used traditionally by local people as an expectorant, carminative, digestive and anti-rheumatic (1,2). As part of our work on the characterization of aromatic and medicinal plants of Rio Grande do Sul (3–5), we report here the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Pluchea quitoc obtained of two regions (sample A and sample B) of this state. To our knowledge, there are no previous reports on the composition and antimicrobial activity of this oil in the literature.