Abstract
This study aimed to characterize and compare essential oils and ethyl acetate fractions obtained in basic and acidic conditions from both male and female Baccharis species (Baccharis myriocephala and Baccharis trimera) from two different Brazilian regions. Samples were characterized according to their chemical compositions and antiradical activity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays. Principal component analysis (PCA) provided a clear separation regarding the chemical composition of essential oils from the samples obtained from different regions by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with flame-ionization detection (GC-MS-FID). PCA also revealed that gender and region of plant collections did not influence the chemical composition and antiradical activity of ethyl acetate fractions, which was corroborated with hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) data. High performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) identified significant quantities of flavonoids and phenolic acids in the fractions obtained in basic and acidic fractions, respectively. The obtained results clearly demonstrated that the geographical region of plant collection influenced the chemical composition of essential oils from the studied Baccharis species. Moreover, the obtained fractions were constituted by several antiradical compounds, which reinforced the usage of these species in folk medicine.