Study of Varronia curassavica (Boraginaceae) in the Rio de Janeiro Mata Atlantica Fragments, Based on the Essential Oils Chemical Profile
Applied botany; wild-sage; natural product; essential oil.
Wild-sage (Varronia curassavica Jaqc) is a native species that occurs in the Mata Atlantica region, it is present in the National List of Medicinal Plants of Interest to the Unified Health System (RENISUS, Brazil) and studies have pointed to the pharmacological effects related to essential oil substances extracted from the leaves. The plant's pharmacological action is mainly due to the presence of α-humulene and β-caryophyllene sesquiterpenes, which have proven anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-allergic properties. There are no reviews of wild-sage focused on the chemical variability of essential oils, as well as, few studies evaluating the chemical diversity of the species in its natural environment or in collections. This dissertation was divided into two chapters. In the first, a literature review, descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis on the essential oils of the wild-sage herb were carried out, based on a sampling of scientific articles available on the internet. In the second chapter, a field study was carried out from the prospection and collection of the wild-sage plant material in its natural habitat (in situ) in the Região dos Lagos in the Rio de Janeiro State, essential oil extractions and chemical characterizations and analysis statistics of the data obtained. With the information obtained in this work, it was possible to know the genotypes wild-sage chemical variability and productive potential in situ. This information is important for the specialist in plant improvement and the breeding program development, focused on the essential oils productions.