CHEMICAL PROFILE, ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIFUNGAL AND INSECTICIDE POTENTIAL OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM THE LEAVES OF Varronia dardani (Taroda) J. S. Mill

The essential oil (EO) of Varronia dardani (Taroda) J.S. Mill (Cordiaceae), a plant widely distributed in northeastern Brazil, was analyzed for its chemical profile and evaluated for its antifungal, antibacterial, and insecticidal activities. The EO was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Limonene (27.49%) and dehydro-1,8-cineole (13.23%) were identified as the major constituents. The EO exhibited strong bactericidal activity, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of 1.5 mg mL–1 against Staphylococcus aureus and 200 mg mL–1 against Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis, the MIC was 48 mg mL–1, indicating a fungistatic effect. In larvicidal assays, the EO showed LC50 and LC90 (lethal concentrations required to kill 50 and 90% of the larvae) values of 1.20 and 2.57 mg mL–1 after 1 h, which decreased to 0.92 and 1.92 mg mL–1 after 2 h. These findings demonstrate that EO is a promising natural antimicrobial agent and an effective larvicide against A. aegypti larvae.