Abstract
In the present study the volatile oil obtained by hydro-distillation from leaves of Schinus molle was analyzed by GC/MS and measured for its antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging assay (DPPH). Fifteen components were identified in the volatile oil, representing 99.99% of the total oil. The identified components in the volatile oil were alpha-pinene (2.53%), cis-ocimene (5.65%), alpha-phellandrene (27.67%), sabinene (17.41%), adamantane (0.67), cis-caryophyllene (1.98%), alpha-muurolene (1.76%), valencene (5.27%), calarene (13.06%), beta-cubebene (0.70%), beta-selinene (1.13%), alpha-selinene (2.81%), (+)-cycloisosativene (3.99%), Delta-cadinene (9.22%), and gamma-selinene (6.23%). The total antioxidant activity of the tested volatile oil was 40 +/- 1.23% and this value is lower that the TAN% observed by Tannic acid (90 +/- 5.12%).