Roupala montana Aubl. Essential Oil: Chemical Composition and Emerging Biological Activities

Roupala montana (Proteaceae) is a shrub native to subtropical and tropical regions of Central and South America. The EO extracted from R. montana was analyzed for its chemical composition and biological activities. GC analysis revealed that the essential oil has a chemically diverse composition, predominantly composed of oxygenated diterpenes (29.37%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (7.81%). Phytol, with 21.17 ± 1.59%, was the major component. Enantioselective GC showed a high enantiomeric excess of (S)-(+)-γ-muurolene (95.07%) and enantiomeric purity of (1S,4aR,8aR)-(-)-γ-cadinene. Antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties were assessed in the EO, comparing them with related species, highlighting its potential for targeted pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications.