The Essential Oil from the Roots of Valeriana rigida Ruiz & Pav. Growing in the Paramos of Chimborazo (Ecuador): Chemical Analysis, Enantioselective Profile, and Preliminary Biological Activity

Abstract

The essential oil (EO) obtained from the roots of Valeriana rigida Ruiz & Pav. (Caprifoliaceae), collected in the moorland region of Chimborazo Province, Ecuador, was analyzed for the first time. The chemical profile was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID, respectively. With both detectors, two stationary phases of different polarities were used. A total of 56 compounds were identified, and the most abundant components (>3% on at least one column) were a mixture of cyclosativene and α-ylangene (4.5–4.4%), α-copaene (9.0–8.8%), decanoic acid (16.0–15.6%), β-chamigrene (3.2–3.1%), δ-cadinene (9.7–9.5%), dodecanoic acid (13.4–12.3%), and 7-epi-α-eudesmol (5.0–4.9%), on a non-polar and polar stationary phase, respectively. Additionally, the enantioselective analysis showed (1S,5S)-(+)-α-pinene, (1R,4S)-(–)-camphene, (1S,5S)-(−)-β-pinene, and (1R,2S,6S,7S,8S)-(–)-α-copaene as enantiomerically pure compounds, whereas germacrene D exhibited both enantiomeric forms. The anti-inflammatory activity of V. rigida EO was comparable to that of aspirin, as indicated by the IC50 values, with no significant differences observed.