The chemical composition of the leaf essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation
of 6 Piper sp.(Piperaceae) from Panama were analyzed by a combination of GC-FID and GC-MS using
two capillary columns of different stationary phases (Supelcowax™10 and methylsilicone
SE-30). Identification of constituents was achieved by means of their GC retention
indices in the two stationary phases and by comparison of their mass spectral fragmentation
patterns with those stored in our own library, in the GC-MS database and with literature
data. The main components identified in each species were as follows: cembratrienol
(25,4%) and derivatives (8,9%), cembrene (15,3%), β-elemene (14,0%) in P. augustum Rudge; β-pinene (26,6%), 6-E-nerolidol (12,8%), p-cymene (8,6%), and limonene (8,2%) in P. corrugatum Kuntze; α-pinene (19,4%), β-caryophyllene (13,9%), and limonene (8,1%) in P. curtispicum C.DC.; p-cymene (43,9%), β-pinene (14,5%) and γ-terpinene (8,0%) in P. grande Vahl; linalool (14,5%), α-phellandrene (13,8%), limonene (12,2%), β-pinene (10,1%) and α-pinene (9,6%) in P. jacquemontianum Kunth; 6-E-nerolidol (8,7%), α-pinene (6,6%), and α-copaene (5,3%) in P. multiplinervium C. DC. The ethnobotanical uses and biological activities of the species studies will
be presented. Acknowledgement: SENACYT, Panamá.