Chemical Profiling of Hedyosmum cumbalense and Hedyosmum spectabile (Chloranthaceae) Essential Oils, and Their Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Anticholinesterase Properties

In Ecuador, Hedyosmum cumbalense and Hedyosmum spectabile are valued for their well-known aromatic characteristics and therapeutic benefits. In this study, fresh and dried leaves of these species were steam-distilled to obtain their essential oils (EOs) for chemical characterization and assessment of their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticholinesterase properties. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and a flame-ionized detector (GC-FID) with a nonpolar column was employed to determine the chemical composition, along with the enantioselective analysis. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against three Gram-positive, two Gram-negative, and two sporulated fungi. The radical scavenging properties were evaluated by DPPH and ABTS assays. A total of 66 and 57 compounds were identified for H. cumbalense and H. spectabile, respectively. Two pairs of enantiomers for each species were also detected, with (1R,5R)-(+)-sabinene and (1S,5S)-(–)-sabinene found in both specimens. A poor effect against Gram-positive cocci was observed on H. cumbalense (MIC of 4000 µg/mL). Both oils displayed weak antifungal activities, exhibiting a MIC of 1000 µg/mL. H. cumbalense had a good scavenging effect assessed by the ABTS radical (SC50 = 96.02 ± 0.33 µg/mL). Both EOs showed a strong anticholinesterase potential with an IC50 value of 61.94 ± 1.04 µg/mL for H. cumbalense and 21.15 ± 1.03 µg/mL for H. spectabile.