Antioxidant Properties and Secondary Metabolites Profile of at Various Phenological Stages.

(Lamiaceae family), a species also treated as in a recently segregated genus from , is a perennial herb or subshrub native to the Andes of northern South America. leaves are commonly used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory and digestive illnesses. In this study, plants at different phenological stages (vegetative, flowering, and post-flowering) were harvested to obtain essential oils (EOs) and extracts (from fresh plant materials or post-distillation waste) whose chemical compositions and antioxidant activities were determined. EOs distilled by microwave-assisted hydrodistillation were analyzed by GC/MS/FID, and hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from fresh plant materials or post-distillation waste were analyzed by UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by the ABTS and ORAC assays. The principal compounds found in EOs were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (65%); specifically, ()-β-caryophyllene and germacrene D. Pyranone, rosmarinic acid, rutin, and -hydroxybenzoic acid were the main constituents in extracts. After analyzing the chemical composition and antioxidant activity (ORAC) of EOs and hydroethanolic extracts from flowering plants, minimal variations were found. It is advisable to harvest plants during their flowering stage to acquire EOs and extracts that can be utilized in the agro-industry of EOs and their natural derivatives.