Chemical composition and biological activity of volatile extracts from leaves and fruits of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi from Tunisia

Volatile oils composition from leaves and ripe fruits of pink pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) growing in Tunisia were investigated using GC-FID and GC-MS techniques. Volatile oil extraction was achieved by hydrodistillation (HD) using a Clevenger apparatus and by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using carbon dioxide. All plant organs, gave SFE extracts chiefly composed by α-pinene, α-phellandrene, β-phellandrene, germacrene D and bicyclogermacrene. In the case of the fruits, both extraction techniques gave volatile oils of similar composition; whereas the comparison between the HD and SFE leave oils revealed important differences in the content of α-pinene (6.1 % vs traces), α-phellandrene (22.7 % vs 0.8 %) and β-phellandrene (14.6 % vs 1.2 %). All volatile samples were evaluated against yeasts and dermatophyte strains, being more active against Cryptococcus neoformans, particularly the volatile oil from the fruits, with MIC values of (0.32-0.64) mg/mL. Moreover, this oil revealed an inhibitory effect on germ tube formation in C. albicans at sub-inhibitory concentration. At the concentration of MIC/8 the inhibition of filamentation was more than 70 %.