Leaf essential oil of Manekia naranjoana (Piperaceae) from Costa Rica and its cytotoxic activity.

The chemical composition of the leaf oil of Manekia naranjoana (C. DC.) Callejas (Piperaceae) from Costa Rica was analyzed by capillary GC/FID and GC/MS. Fifty-five compounds were identified. Major compounds from the leaf oil were beta-pinene (30.6%), alpha-pinene (18.8%), limonene (13.7%), and beta-caryophyllene (6.1%). The oil presented very low toxicity to tumor and non-tumor cell lines, even though it contains components, such as alpha- and beta-pinene, limonene and others, which have been shown to be cytotoxic. This is the first report of the chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from this species.