Characterization and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of Mespilodaphne quixos (Lam.) Rohwer (amazonian cinnamon)

The objective of this research was to characterize and evaluate the antioxidant activity of the essential oil of Mespilodaphne quixos (Lam.) Rohwer (Amazonian cinnamon), with a view to its use as a raw material in the production of pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food products. The oil was extracted by steam distillation, from plant species native to the Santa Clara canton. The research was of an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional type and a mixed approach; the study was carried out in two stages. The first stage was aimed at the essential oil of Mespilodaphne quixos (Lam.) Rohwer obtaining, its organoleptic characterization, and general physicochemical and qualitative analysis. As a result, it was obtained that the essential oils, both from the fresh leaves and from the dry bark of Mespilodaphne quixos (Lam.) Rohwer, showed adequate quality parameters according to the Ecuadorian Technical Standard INEN-ISO 3524 of 2014. The second stage consisted in the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of the essential oil, from which it turned out that it showed important antioxidant activity in correspondence with the identified metabolic composition.