Caracterização química e citotoxicidade do óleo essencial do cravo-da-índia (Syzygium aromaticum)

This work evaluates the physical-chemical properties of the essential oil of the dryfloral buds of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) that are found in the Municipality of Saint Louis, Maranhao. The essential oil was quantitatively extracted by hydrodistillation. The physicochemical properties of the essential oil (density, refractive index,solubility, color and appearance) and cytotoxic activity against larvae of Artemia salinaa were determined. The oil was analytically characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results show that the best timeand yield of the oil were correspondingly 4 hours and 4.33% mass per volume. From this, it was possible to identify five components, being the major presence of eugenol that soon was confirmed by the spectroscopic techniques. In the identification ofthe major component and the other components, as well as their quantifications,the techniques were precise and the methods efficient, providing a good analytical performance in the determinations.