MORPHOANATOMIC, HISTOCHEMICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF THE SPECIES Plectranthus ornatus CODD. (LAMIACEAE).

Plectranthus ornatus Cood. Lamiaceae. Chemical compounds. Plant Anatomy.

Plants have valuable chemical compounds that are fundamental for their survival and development, among them, essential oils (EOs), which are complex volatile substances, being a product of the secondary metabolism of plants. One of the most common plants are those of the genus Plectranthus, belonging to the Lamiaceae family, having characteristics very similar to each other, popularly known as boldo, such as the species Plectranthus ornatus Cood of the research itself. These aromatic herbaceous plants have great medicinal, ornamental and economic importance, but mainly important potential active compounds in their essential oils. The present research presents a study of morphoanatomical and histochemical analysis of the leaf blade and phytochemistry in the extraction of the essential oil of the species Plectranthus ornatus, aiming to provide morphological, anatomical, histochemical characteristics and to evaluate the chemical compounds of its leaf essential oil, describing characteristics for the identity of the species. The Plectranthus ornatus collection points were selected based on information from a small plantation in the municipality of Quatipuru in the state of PA and in the municipality of Barcarena - PA, being collected and deposited in the herbarium of the Goeldi Museum - MPEG. The essential oil was extracted by the hydrodistillation method, performed in the MPEG phytochemistry laboratory, and the anatomical and histochemical analyzes were carried out in the plant anatomy laboratory of the Goeldi Museum, research campus. The leaves of the specimens have similar morphologies, differing only in size, presenting leaves as opposite cross, dentate margin, peninerveas, presence of trichomes, with very short petiole and flag-green color. There was no expressive yield in the extraction of essential oil from the two specimens Plectranthus ornatos collected, and presenting trans-caryophyllene as the major compound. In the anatomical study, numerous tector and glandular trichomes of different shapes and sizes were found, in which the histochemistry found that this yield characteristic is due to the glandular trichomes that do not secrete only OEs, being mixed with resin, showing a purplish coloration. It was also positive for total lipids and acids, terpenes, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, tannins and alkaloids, and with the presence of calcium oxalate mainly in the petiole. The results obtained provided relevant information for the identification and quality control of the species, noting its enriching potential as an aromatic plant with phytotherapeutic properties.