Volatile concentrate from the neotropical moss Neckeropsis undulata (Hedw.) Reichardt, existing in the brazilian Amazon

Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from Mosses from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

This study aimed to report the unprecedented volatile composition of the mosses Phyllogonium viride BRID, Orthotichella rigida (MÜLL.HAL.) B. H. ALLEN & MAGILL and Schlotheimia rugifolia (HOOK.) SCHWÄGR occurring in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, in order to elucidate the chemical composition of these species and enrich the chemotaxonomic knowledge of mosses. 28 compounds were identified, the major constituent being hexadecanoic acid, also known as palmitic acid, specifically P. viride com (38.55 %), O. rigida com (17.17 %) and S. rugifolia com (24.94 %), followed by phytol, P. viride com (3.92 %), O. rigida com (28.57 %) and S. rugifolia com (36.13 %). In addition, there was a prevalence of aliphatic hydrocarbons (25 %) and fatty acids (17.8 %) in the evaluated samples. These data contribute to the generation of new scientific information about the chemical constitution of mosses, still little studied, enriching the chemotaxonomic collection of the taxon.

Volatile chemical composition of Octoblepharum albidum Hedw. (Bryophyta) from the Brazilian Amazon

Bryophytes have a variety of bioactive compounds that can be used in biotechnological processes. The objective of this study was to know the volatile chemical composition of Octoblepharum albidum Hedw. from the Amazon and investigate its association with possible bioactive effects on insects. The volatile concentrate of O. albidum was obtained by micro-scale simultaneous distillation–extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and the identification of the compounds was based on system libraries and specialized literature. Twelve organic compounds (92.44% of the total) were identified. Hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid, E-isoeugenol, 1-octen-3-ol, and stearic acid were the major compounds. Most of the compounds have already been reported from bryophytes, while others have an unprecedented occurrence in the group. All identified compounds have biological activities reported in the literature and may participate in plant defense mechanisms against insects, causing mortality or developmental inhibition. In this study, we describe for the first time the volatile chemical composition of O. albidum from Brazil and provide evidence that this species is a source of bioactive compounds. The identified compounds have been reported in the literature to cause mortality or affect the biological parameters of insects, what suggests the possibility of their usage in the formulation of bioinsecticides.