ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF Piper diospyrifolium KUNTH (PIPERACEAE) ESSENTIAL OIL

In vitro activity of the essential oil from Piper diospyrifolium leaves was tested using disk diffusion techniques. The antifungal assay showed significant potencial antifungal activity: the oil was effective against several clinical fungal strains. The majority compounds in the essential oil were identified as sesquiterpenoids by GC-MS and GC-FID techniques. Key words: Piper diospyrifolium; essential oil; antifungal activity The family Piperaceae is pantropical in distribution. In Brazil, it is represented by five genera (Piper, Peperomia, Potomorphe, Ottonia, and Sarcorhachis) and about 500 species, which are quite common in forests, particularly in the Atlantic Tropical Forest (24, 26). known for the aromatic properties of many members, the family’s best-know representatives belong to the genus Piper, including species that are currently used as producers of essential oils, such as Piper arboreum, P. hispidum, P. crassinervium, P