Seasonal effect on the chemical composition of essential oils hydrodistillated from Zanthoxylum leprieurii Guill. & Perr. and on their biological activities

This study focused on evaluating the seasonal effect onthe chemical composition and on the biological activities of essential oils hydrodistillated fromleaves, trunk bark and fruits of Zanthoxylum leprieurii(Z. leprieurii) over the months, describing the climatic conditions of specific seasonsof Côte d’Ivoire. Z. leprieuriiisa plant commonly used in traditional medicine.Besides, some of its metabolites have already shown antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, cytotoxic, schistosomidal and antibacterialproperties1,2.Essential oils were hydrodistillatedfrom organs with a Clevenger-type apparatus and analyzedby gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Essential oil of leaves weredominated by sesquiterpene and methylketones, such as tridecan-2-one,(E)-β-ocimene,β-caryophyllene, dendrolasin, undecane-2-oneandthymol.Fruitsessential oils were characterized by monoterpenes with β-myrcene, citronellol, geranial and methyl nerate. Essential oils of trunk bark were commanded by methylketones, as the main compoundsweretridecan-2 one, β-caryophyllene,α-humulene, tridecan-2-ol and(E,E)-farnesol..Results showed that the seasonal effect does not statistically impactthe chemical composition of essential oils hydrodistillated from the different organs of the plant. Besides, the essential oils investigated in this work have exhibited significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal and moderate anti-plasmodialactivities. Those activities were related to some compounds identified in the essential oils. In conclusion,this investigation confirmed the high potential of Z. leprieuriifor a use in traditional medicine