IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OIL EXTRACTED FROM ALPINIA ZERUMBET (JARDINEIRA)

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of the essential oil (EO) extracted from the leaves of Alpinia zerumbet. Methods: The EO was obtained by hydrodistillation from leaves collected in Maranhão, Brazil. Its chemical composition was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antioxidant activity was assessed using the hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. Results: Chemical analysis identified 29 compounds, with p-cymene (43.04%) and eugenol (36.25%) as the major constituents. The EO exhibited antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 12.69 mg/L), which was lower than that of sodium diclofenac (IC₅₀ = 2.65 mg/L) and aspirin (IC₅₀ = 11.00 mg/L). Conclusion: The essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet demonstrated moderate in vitro antioxidant activity, attributed to its composition rich in phenolic and terpenoid compounds. The results reinforce its potential as a source of natural antioxidants for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications. Further studies, including extraction optimization, in vivo assays, and toxicological evaluations, are necessary to validate its efficacy and safety for therapeutic application.