Accepted Article Article Type: Full Paper Chemical composition, enantiomeric analysis, AEDA sensorial evaluation and antifungal activity of the essential oil from the Ecuadorian plant Lepechinia mutica Benth (Lamiaceae). Jorge Ramírez*a,d, Gianluca Gilardonia, Miriam Jácomea, José Montesinosa, Marinella Rodolfib, Maria Lidia Guglielminettib, Cecila Caglieroc, Carlo Bicchic and Giovanni Vidarid aDepartamento bDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lab. Mycology, University of Pavia, Via San Epifanio 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy cDipartimento dDipartimento de Química y Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto s/n, Loja, Ecuador. jyramirez@utpl.edu.ec di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125, Torino, Italy. di Chimica and CEMEC, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy. This study describes the GC-FID, GC-MS, GC-O, and enantioselective GC analysis of the essential oil hydrodistilled from leaves of Lepechinica mutica (Lamiaceae), collected in Ecuador. GC-FID and GC-MS analyses allowed the characterization and quantification of 79 components, representing 97.3% of the total sample. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (38.50%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (30.59%) were found to be the most abundant volatiles, while oxygenated sesquiterpenes (16.20%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (2.10%) were the minor components. In order to better characterize the oil aroma, the most important odorants, from the sensorial point of view, were identified by Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis (AEDA) GC-O. They were α-pinene, β-phellandrene, and dauca-5,8-diene, exhibiting the characteristic woody, herbaceus and earthy odors, respectively. Enantioselective GC analysis of L. mutica essential oil revealed the presence of twelve couples and two enantiomerically pure chiral monoterpenoids. Their enantiomeric excesses were from a few percent units to 100%. Moreover, the essential oil exhibited moderate in vitro activity against five fungal strains, being especially effective against M. canis, which is a severe zoophilic dermatophyte causal agent of pet and human infections. This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1002/cbdv.201700292 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article Keywords: Lepechinia mutica • Ecuador • Enantiomeric analysis • Gas chromatographyolfactometry • Antifungal activity. Introduction The genus Lepechinia belongs to the family Lamiaceae and comprises about 43 species distributed from South-West USA to Chile. Sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes and flavonoids have been isolated from different species of this genus. Some species are used for their antitumor and insulin-mimetic properties, to treat uterine infections and stomach pains [1]. Regarding the essential oil components, 15 species of the genus Lepechinia have been studied so far, including L. conferta [1], L. floribunda [2–5], L. graveolens [3], L. caulescens [6], L. paniculata [7], L. betonicifolia [8], L. meyeni [3,9], L. salviaefolia [10], L. bullata [11], L. calycina [12], L. schiedeana [13–15], L. urbanii [16], L. chamaedryoides [17], L. radula [18]. In table 1, we have reported the major compounds from some Lepechinia species. However, due to the heterogeneity of compounds identified in Lepechinia spp, it has not been possible to establish a typical metabolic pattern. The essential oils of seven different Ecuadorian plants of the family Lamiaceae have been studied so far, including two species belonging to the genus Lepechinia [7, 19]. In 2002, Malagón et al. identified 54 compounds in the essential oil from L. mutica, collected at “Cerro el Villonaco” (Loja, Ecuador), on the basis of their retention indices, referred to a series of homologous fatty acid methyl esters [19], and the comparison of the mass spectra with an early collection of reference spectral data [20]. The gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) technique couples traditional gas chromatographic analysis with sensory detection. Thus GC-O may be considered a biological detection method for the characterization of the odor of compounds separated and quantified by GC chromatography [21]. Indeed, the correlation of the eluted peaks with specific odors affords to establish accurate retention indices or retention times for the odor active components, while peak areas in the GC-FID chromatogram are indicative of the relative abundance of the components. Moreover, GC-O in combination with mass spectrometry enables the identification of odor compounds with the aid of mass spectral information and leads to a partial correlation between the chemical nature of an odorant and its perceived smell [21]. To collect and process GC-O data and to estimate the relative odor potency of each aroma-active compound and thus its sensory contribution to the total odor of the oil, we used the dilution to threshold quantitative procedure known as the “Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis” (AEDA) [22-24]. Another important point, related to the sensorial properties of the volatile fraction, is that many common constituents of essential oils are chiral and thus they may be present as one or both enantiomeric forms. Since the odor properties as well as the biological activity of the two stereoisomers may be greatly different, a complete characterization of odor-active components of an essential oil requires enantiomer recognition and enantiomeric excess (EE) and/or ratio (ER) determination [25, 26]. These separations are usually achieved by enantioselective gas chromatography, using a capillary column endowed with a chiral stationary phase, usually cyclodextrin derivatives, as chiral selectors [25]. Therefore, we decided to repeat the analysis of the oil by GC-FID and GC-MS techniques, and identified their components by comparison of their linear retention indices and mass spectra with an updated and more complete reference data This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article collection [27]. Moreover, the essential oil was submitted, for the first time with this genus, to GCO and enantioselective GC analyses to characterize better the pleasant minty smell of L. mutica essential oil and to identify odor active compounds. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. ccepted Articl Table 1. Major components in the essential oils of genus Lepechinia. Major compounds [1] L. conferta [2-5] L. floribunda [3] L. graveolens [6] L. caulescens [7] L. paniculata [8] L. betonicifolia [3-9] L. meyeni (-)-palustrol [10] L. salviaefolia [13-15] L. schiedeana [16] L. urbanii x 1,8-cineole x x Aromadendrene x Borneol x Bornyl acetate x Camphene x Camphor Ledyl acetate [12] L. calycina x (-)-spirolepechinene Ledol [11] L. bullata x x x x x x x Limonene x m-cymene x o-cymene x p-cymene x Viridiflorene α-copaene This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. x x [17] L. chamaedryoides [18] L. radula ccepted Articl α-humulene x α-pinene x β-caryophyllene β-phellandrene x x x x x x x β-pinene x x β-selinene x x γ-cadinene x δ-cadinene Δ3-carene x x x This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. x x x x x x Results and Discussion Accepted Article GC-MS and GC-FID analyses. The average and standard deviation of each oil component were calculated by six consecutive GC-FID analyses. The results of GC-MS and GC-FID analyses are reported in Table 2. Table 2. Components of the essential oil from L. mutica. No. Componentsa RTb FID Calculated linear retention indexc Linear retention index from reference [27] RI  % Area 1 Tricyclene 4.07 921 926 5 Trd - 2 -Thujene 4.17 924 928 4 0.09 0.06 3 -Pinene 4.38 932 934 2 1.23 0.89 4 Camphene 4.88 946 949 3 0.75 0.80 5 Sabinene 5.65 969 971 2 0.24 0.15 6 -Pinene 5.82 974 976 2 3.78 1.76 7 Oct-3-en-1-ol 6.08 974 983 9 0.07 0.07 8 Myrcene 6.27 988 989 1 0.52 0.28 9 p-Mentha-1(7),8-diene 6.73 1003 1002 -1 0.16 0.13 10 -phellandrene 6.82 1005 1003 -2 3.80 1.70 11 3-Carene 6.93 1008 1008 0 8.69 4.24 12 -Terpinene 7.19 1014 1015 1 0.11 0.07 13 p-Cymene 7.31 1020 1019 -1 0.10 0.06 14 Sylvestrene 7.45 1025 1023 -2 0.29 0.18 15 o-Cymene 7.48 1022 1024 2 16 Limonene 7.64 1024 1028 4 3.79 2.18 17 -Phellandrene 7.69 1025 1030 5 18 -Terpinene 8.64 1054 1057 3 0.23 0.12 19 cis-Sabinene hydrate 9.12 1065 1071 6 0.05 0.03 20 p-Mentha-2,4(8)-diene 9.43 1085 1080 -5 0.35 0.18 21 Terpinolene 9.56 1086 1083 -3 0.60 0.33 22 trans-Linalool oxide 9.67 1084 1086 2 Trd - 23 Linalool 10.20 1095 1102 7 0.20 0.09 24 Oct-1-en-3-yl acetate 10.44 1110 1109 -1 1.37 0.60 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article 25 Camphor 11.58 1141 1145 4 Trd - 26 Borneol 12.46 1165 1172 7 0.25 0.05 27 4-Terpineol 12.71 1174 1180 6 0.14 0.02 28 -Terpineol 13.23 1186 1196 10 0.11 0.02 29 Isobornyl acetato 15.81 1283 1281 -2 2.20 1.04 30 -Elemene 17.41 1335 1328 -7 Trd - 31 -Cubebene 17.81 1348 1340 -8 0.57 0.08 32 -Terpinyl acetate 17.89 1346 1342 -4 33 -Ylangene 18.57 1373 1361 -12 0.15 0.05 34 Isoledene 18.61 1374 1362 -12 35 -Copaene 18.81 1374 1367 -7 1.46 0.23 36 -Bourbonene 19.08 1387 1375 -12 0.47 0.25 37 -Cubebene 19.28 1387 1380 -7 0.15 0.04 38 -Gurjunene 19.97 1409 1400 -9 1.94 0.37 39 -Cedrene 20.26 1410 1407 -3 0.05 0.10 40 (E)-Caryophyllene 20.47 1417 1412 -5 4.55 2.16 41 Longifolene 20.74 1407 1418 11 0.15 0.07 42 -Copaene 20.86 1430 1421 -9 0.50 0.08 43 -Gurjunene 21.19 1431 1429 -2 1.47 0.78 44 cis-Muurola-3,5-diene 21.54 1448 1437 -11 0.45 0.36 45 -Humulene 21.89 1452 1445 -7 1.20 0.47 46 Aromadendrene 22.05 1439 1449 10 0.56 0.10 47 cis-Cadina-1(6),4-diene 22.19 1461 1452 -9 0.99 1.36 48 Amorpha-4,11-diene 22.36 1449 1456 7 0.15 0.07 49 Dauca-5,8-diene 22.64 1471 1463 -8 0.38 0.09 50 trans-Cadina-1(6),4-diene 22.79 1475 1466 -9 0.99 0.12 51 -Muurolene 22.98 1478 1471 -7 0.92 0.23 52 -Selinene 23.29 1492 1478 -14 0.81 0.08 53 cis--Guaiene 23.42 1492 1481 -11 0.71 0.11 54 Bicyclogermacrene 23.62 1500 1486 -14 55 epi-Cubebol 23.74 1493 1489 -4 4.62 0.58 56 -Zingiberene 23.75 1493 1489 -4 57 -Muurolene 23.83 1500 1491 -9 0.91 0.17 58 (E,E)--Farnesene 24.34 1505 1503 -2 0.83 0.25 59 -Cadinene 24.44 1513 1505 -8 2.86 0.37 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article 60 Cubebol 24.59 1514 1508 -6 0.36 0.21 61 -Cadinene 24.74 1522 1511 -11 6.96 0.99 62 trans-Calamenene 24.78 1521 1512 -9 0.15 0.04 63 trans-Cadina-1,4-diene 25.29 1533 1523 -10 0.37 0.10 64 -Cadinene 25.48 1537 1527 -10 0.39 0.12 65 Selina-3,7(11)-diene 25.61 1545 1530 -15 0.14 0.04 66 Germacrene B 26.33 1559 1545 -14 0.18 0.06 67 Germacrene D-4-ol 27.31 1574 1567 -7 1.46 0.40 68 Caryophyllene oxide 27.42 1582 1569 -13 0.29 0.24 69 Globulol 28.11 1590 1584 -6 5.91 2.61 70 Viridiflorol 28.51 1592 1592 0 1.29 0.45 71 1,10-di-epi-Cubenol 29.71 1618 1617 -1 0.27 0.11 72 10-epi--Eudesmol 29.96 1622 1622 0 0.54 0.15 73 Junenol 29.97 1618 1623 5 1.39 0.42 74 -Acorenol 30.14 1632 1626 -6 0.09 0.15 75 -Acorenol 30,78 1636 1639 3 0.47 0.81 76 -Eudesmol 31.00 1649 1644 -5 77 -Eudesmol 31.02 1652 1644 -8 4.47 1.93 78 -Cadinol 31.10 1652 1646 -6 79 Shyobunol 32.83 1688 1681 -7 10.80 5.91 Monoterpenes hydrocarbons 30.59 Oxygenated monoterpenes 2.07 Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons 38.54 Oxygenated sesquiterpenes 16.22 Others 9.88 Total identified 97.30 aCompound identification methods: LRI and comparison of the mass spectrum with Adams. bRT= Retention time (min). cCalculated linear retention index on a DB5-MS column. dTr = trace (<0.05%). Table 2 reports the list of the identified components. Indeed, seventy-eight compounds were identified, representing 95.60% the total oil sample. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (38.54%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (28.89%) were the principal groups of compounds. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes (16.22%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (2.07%) were the minor groups. The most abundant components were shyobunol (10.80%), 3-carene (8.69%), -cadinene (6.96%), globulol (5.91%), (E)-caryophyllene (4.55%), -pinene (3.78%) and -cadinene (2.86%). 3Carene has also been found as one of the three main components in the oils of L. conferta [1], L. meyeni [3,9], L. calycina [12], L. schiedeana [13–15], L. urbanii [16], Sphacele chamaedryoides [17] and L. radula [18]. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article In the previous study by Malagon of the oil from L. mutica, monoterpene hydrocarbons were found to be the main group of constituents (72%), among which -phellandrene (30%), camphene (13%), limonene (8%), 3-carene (6%) and -pinene (3%) were the most abundant ones [19]. The different chemical composition of the essential oil from L. mutica reported in the previous [19] and present works, may depend on many factors, such as the phenological status of the plant, different time and place of collection, distillation time, method of analysis. In fact, the plant material studied by Malagón et.al. was collected in a different place and period (March 2000), giving a possible explication to the different composition. AEDA GC-O GC-O results were processed by means of AEDA technique, and is shown in Figure 2, and in Table 3. In Figure 1 each (red) signal in the aromagram represents the perception of the compound corresponding to the retention index reported in the underlying GC chromatogram; the intensity of each signal is proportional to the dilution corresponding to the FD factor; therefore, the greater is the signal intensity in the aromagram, the more important is the contribution of the corresponding compound to the olfactory profile of the essential oil. Figure 2 depicts the AEDA aromagram of the essential oil from L. mutica resulting from the FD factors of odor-active components from L. mutica. Figure 1. Superposition of the gas chromatogram and the aromagram of the essential oil. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article The most important compounds from the olfactory point of view are reported in Table 3. Thus, the main odor contributors, according to AEDA analysis, were -pinene, having a strong woody odor, -phellandrene, endowed with a characteristic herbaceus tonality, and dauca-5,8-diene possessing a typical earthy odor. Figure 2. AEDA aromagram of the essential oil from L. mutica. Table 3. Components of the olfactory profile of L. mutica essential oil. Odour AEDA (FD) Compound Calculated LRI woody 8 -Pinene 934 vanilla 4 Camphene 949 woody 4 -Pinene 976 lemon 4 3-Carene 1008 herbaceous 8 -Phellandrene 1030 lavender 4 Oct-1-en-3-yl acetate 1109 woody 4 (E)-Caryophyllene 1412 earthy 8 Dauca-5,8-diene 1463 woody 2 -Zingiberene 1489 woody 2 -Cadinene 1511 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article woody 4 -Cadinene 1527 herbaceous 4 Globulol 1584 woody 2 Shyobunol 1681 According to the AEDA analysis, the importance of odorous compounds does not correspond to the component percentage in the oil. For example, shyobunol and 3-carene, which are among the most abundant compounds, are not among the most powerful odorants; instead, the opposite is true, for example, for -phellandrene and dauca-5,8-diene. Enantioselective GC-MS analysis Enantiomer components and enantiomeric excesses (EEs) of L. mutica essential oil were determined as the mean value of two enantioselective GC-MS analyses [26,28], performed on samples obtained from two different distillation processes. Since enantiomers have the same chemical properties, the enantiomeric distribution (unlike the chemical composition) should not be affected by the distillation process. For this reason, the enantioselective analysis can be performed as the mean value of two replicates. Twelve couples and two enantiomerically pure chiral monoterpenoids were detected (Table 4) and baseline separated. (+)-camphor and (-)borneol were detected as enantiomerically pure compounds, while (-)-camphene, (-)--pinene, (-)--pinene were present in mixture with their enantiomers but with a very high E.E. In contrast, the enantiomeric excesses of (-)-sabinene, (+)--phellandrene, (-)-limonene, (+)linalool and (-)--terpineol were only moderate, while terpinen-4-ol and trans-linalool oxide were almost racemic. These results further confirm that secondary metabolites can be present in plants as enantiomeric mixtures. Table 4. Enantiomeric analysis of the components of L. mutica essential oil. RT Enantiomeric distribution (%) (1S,4R)-(-)-Camphene 9.57 98.48 (1R,4S)-(+)-Camphene 10.24 1.52 (1R)-(+)--Pinene 9.76 5.70 Enantiomers E.E. (%) 96.96 88.61 (1S)-(-)--Pinene 9.82 94.31 (1R)-(+)--Pinene 10.88 1.88 96.25 (1S)-(-)--Pinene 11.29 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. 98.13 (1R,5R)-(+)-Sabinene 12.19 32.97 (1S,5S)-(-)-Sabinene 12.93 67.03 (R)-(-)--Phellandrene 14.38 6.85 (S)-(+)--Phellandrene 14.54 93.16 (R)-(-)--Phellandrene 15.90 9.12 (S)-(+)--Phellandrene 16.60 90.89 (S)-(-)-Limonene 16.44 70.94 (R)-(+)-Limonene 17.39 29.06 (1R)-(+)-Camphor 20.94 >99% (+)-trans-Linalool oxide (furanoid) 18.56 52.89 (-)-trans-Linalool oxide (furanoid) 18.91 47.12 (R)-(-)-Linalool 23.13 27.83 (S)-(+)-Linalool 23.97 72.18 (2R)-(-)-Borneol 24.25 >99% (S)-(+)-Terpinen-4-ol 27.21 44.72 (R)-(-)-4-Terpinen-4-ol 27.47 55.29 (S)-(-)--Terpineol 29.83 73.64 (R)-(+)--Terpineol 30.52 26.36 Accepted Article 34.06 86.31 81.77 41.88 100 5.77 44.35 100 10.57 47.28 Antifungal activity Different biological properties have been attributed to the essential oils isolated from a few Lepechinia species. They include the antimicrobial activity against Paenibacillus larvae for the oil from L. floribunda) [2,4,5], in vitro anti-Vibro cholera activity for the oil from L. caulescens) [6], repellent activity against Tribolium castaneum [8] and high total antioxidant activity (TAA) in the DPPH assay for the oil from L. schiedeana [13–15], and insecticidal activity against Drosophila melanogaster for the oil from L. chamaedryoides [29]. To the best of our knowledge, the biological activity of L. mutica essential oil (Table 5) has not yet been investigated. We tested the antifungal activity of the oil against three severe human fungal pathogens, Candida albicans, Trichophytum rubrum and Microsporum canis, and two potent plant pathogens, Pyricularia oryzae and Fusarium graminearum. Compared to the positive controls (amphotericin B and voriconazole) the essential oil exhibited moderate activity against M. canis and T. rubrum, having MIC values ranging between 2.2 and 4.5 mg/ml). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article Table 5. MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) and MFC (Minimum Fungicidal Concentration) values (mg/ml) of the essential oil hydrodistilled from L. mutica. Sample Candida albicans (human pathogen) Trichophyton rubrum (human pathogen) Microsporum canis (human pathogen) Pyricularia oryzae (plant pathogen) Fusarium graminearum (plant pathogen) Oil MIC > 9 mg/ml 2.2 <MIC ≤ 4.5 mg/ml 2.2 <MIC ≤ 4.5 mg/ml MIC > 9 mg/ml MIC > 9 mg/ml MFC> 9 mg/ml 4.5 <MCF ≤ 9 mg/ml Amphotericin Ba MIC = 0.001 mg/ml MIC = 0.5 mg/ml MIC = 0.0005 mg/ml n.d. n.d. Voriconazolea MIC = 0.00006 mg/ml MIC = 0.5 mg/ml MIC = 0.00025 mg/ml n.d. n.d. Flutriafol PESTANAL®a n.d. n.d. n.d. MIC = 0.04 mg/ml n.d. aPositive reference antifungal compound. n.d. = not determined Conclusions The chemical composition of the essential oil hydrodistilled from the leaves of L. mutica determined in this work resulted to be quite different from that previously found by Malagón et al in 2002 [19]. In this investigation we identified seventy-nine components of the essential oil, which represented 97.30% the total sample. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (38.54%) and monoterpenes hydrocarbons (30.59%) were the prevalent groups of compounds, while oxygenated sesquiterpenoids (16.22%) and oxygenated monoterpenoids (2.07%) were present in minor amounts. The most abundant components were shyobunol (10.80%), 3-carene (8.69%), -cadinene (6.96%), globulol (5.91%), and (E)-caryophyllene (4.55%), while the most sensorially important components, determined by AEDA GC-O, were -pinene, -phellandrene, and dauca-5,8-diene, possessing typical woody, herbaceus and earthy odors, respectively. Enantioselective GC-MS analysis of L. mutica essential oil revealed the presence of twelve enantiomeric couples and two enantiomerically pure monoterpenes. Their enantiomeric excesses varied from a few percent units to virtually 100%. Moreover, the essential oil exhibited moderate in vitro activity against five fungal strains, being especially effective against M. canis, which is a severe zoophilic dermatophyte causal agent of pet and human skin infections (tinea). This oil might be used for an alternative antifungal treatment of infected men and animals, as well as for the remediation of indoor environments contaminated by infected hair shedding, which is a potential source of new infections. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Experimental Section Accepted Article Plant material and preparation of the essential oil. The collection of L. mutica leaves, authorized by the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador (MAE) (authorization no. 001-IC-FLO-DBAP-VS-DRLZCH-MA), was performed in the Quilanga region of the Loja Province, Ecuador, in November and December 2009. The plant was identified by Bolivar Merino, “Herbarium of the Universidad Nacional Loja”. A voucher specimen, with the number PPN-la-005, has been deposited in the Herbarium of the “Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja”. The essential oil, d20 = 0.916 ± 0.026, n20 = 1.4867 ± 0.0009, []D20 = -5.8º (neat), was obtained in 0.40 ± 0.12% yield (w/w) by steam distillation of fresh leaves (approximately 10.36 kg) in a Clevenger-type apparatus for four hours. Subsequently, the essential oil was tagged and stored in a brown vial at 4ºC until analysis. GC-MS analysis Qualitative analysis of the essential oil (six replicates) was performed by GC-MS using an Agilent Chromatograph (model 6890N series), coupled to a mass spectrometer-detector (model Agilent series 5973 inert). The spectrometer, controlled by the data system MSD-Chemstation D.01.00 SP1, operated at 70 eV; electron multiplier 1600 V; scan rate: 2 scan/s; mass range: 40-350 m/z. A non-polar capillary column, DB-5ms 5%-phenyl-methylpolysiloxane, 30 m x 0.25 mm, thickness 0.25 μm film, was used. Samples were dissolved in dichloromethane. An autosampler (series 7673) was used. Helium was the carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min in constant flow mode; the detector and injector temperatures were set at 250 ºC. The injector operated in split mode (split ratio 20:1). The oven temperature was set at 60 ºC for 5 min, then increased to 110 ºC, with a gradient rate of 5 ºC/min, followed by an increase to 148 ºC with a gradient of 2 ºC/min. A third gradient rate of 20 ºC/min increased the temperature to 250 ºC, which was hold for 2.4 min. The ion source temperature was 250 ºC. Chemical components of L. mutica essential oil were identified by comparing their EI MS spectra with the spectra of compounds having close retention indices (RI) reported in the Adam’s comprehensive work [27]. Retention indices were determined, according to Van Den Dool and Kratz [30], on the basis of the retention times of a homologous series of hydrocarbons C10-C25 (TPH-6RPM of CHEM SERVICE), which were analyzed by GC under the same conditions. GC-FID analysis The analysis of the essential oil (six replicates) was carried out on an Agilent Technologies chromatograph (model 6890N series), using a flame ionization detector (FID). The percentage content of each oil component was computed from the corresponding GC-FID peak area without applying any correction factor. The analytical parameters were the same as the GC-MS analysis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article GC-O analysis by incremental dilution technique (AEDA) GC-O-MS analysis was performed using an Agilent Technologies chromatograph (model 6890N series), and a Gerstel Olfactory Detection Port ODP 3. The same analytical parameters as those used in the GC-MS analysis were applied. GC-O analysis was performed by injecting, at corresponding to FD=1), the essential oil dissolved in CH2Cl2, while two trained panelists signaled the perceived odors by pushing a button, without seeing the chromatogram in progress [25]. Furthermore, the panelists were asked to describe the odor perceived at the sniffing port in the two analyses of the oil. During AEDA, stepwise dilutions of the original oil were performed and the diluted samples were then evaluated by GC-O to provide flavour dilution (FD) factors, i.e. the highest oil dilution at which the odor of analyzed compound could distinctively be detected. The overall results obtained with AEDA have been reported in an aromagram (Figure 2), showing the exponential (2x) FD values against the retention indices (RI). Enantioselective GC analysis Enantioselective GC-MS analysis was performed (two replicates) using a Shimadzu QP2010 GCMS system. The mass spectrometer operated in electron impact ionization mode at 70 eV, with a mass range of m/z 35-350 full scan mode. The ion source temperature was set at 200 ºC. Helium was the carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The injector operated in split mode (split ratio 20:1) at 200 ºC, with a transfer line at 230 ºC. The oven temperature was set at 50 ºC for 2 min, and then increased to 220 ºC, with a gradient rate of 2 ºC/min, which was hold for 2.0 min. A chiral capillary column, 30% 2,3-diethyl-6-tert-butyldimethylsilyl--CDX dissolved in Silicon PS 086 (25m x 0.25mm x 0.25m) from Mega (Legnano, MI, Italy), was used. Oil samples were dissolved in cyclohexane. The enantiomer order in the enantioselective GC-MS analysis was obtained by separated injections of enantiomerically pure standards. Physical properties of the essential oil The relative density, refractive index and optical activity of the essential oil were determined as the means of three different experiments done at 20 ºC by using a pycnometer (5 mL) and an analytical balance (METTLER AC100), a refractometer (model ABBE), and a Perkin-Elmer 241 polarimeter, respectively. In vitro evaluation of antifungal activity The in vitro antifungal activity of the oil was tested against different strains belonging to the fungal collection deposited at the Laboratory of Mycology, University of Pavia, Candida albicans (C.P. Robin) Berkhout, Microsporum canis E. Bodin ex Guég., Trichophyton rubrum (Castell.) Sabour., Fusarium graminearum Schwabe and Pyricularia oryzae Cavara. The first three fungi This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article were isolated from human patients suffering of cutaneous mycoses, while the last two fungi were isolated, respectively, from plants of rice (Oryza sativa L.) with blast disease and plants of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) infected by FHB (Fusarium Head Blight). All fungi were cultured and maintained on Sabouraud agar (Oxoid, Basingstoke, UK) before performing the antifungal tests. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the essential oil was determined by brothmicrodilution method using 96 well flat-shaped microtitre plates (Sigma-Aldrich), according to Gadd [31] and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute [32, 33] procedures, with minor modifications. The MIC is defined as the lowest drug concentration completely inhibiting observable fungal growth compared to the control. The essential oil was added to the liquid culture medium RPMI 1640 in micro-wells at a final concentration from 10 to 1 µl/mL. 0.002% Tween 80 (v/v) was included to enhance oil solubility. Inoculum suspensions were prepared by transferring fungi in 2 mL of sterile water with 0.85% NaCl (API BioMerieux) adjusted to 0.5 McFarland by nephelometric measurement. At first, the filamentous fungi were homogenously disrupted by vortex in glass tubes containing sterile water and sterile broken cover glasses. Total volume in each micro-well was 100 μL. Incubating temperature was 25°C, except for C. albicans (cultured at 37°C). Test plates were examined after 24 and 48 h for C. albicans, and after 5 days for T. rubrum, M. canis, P. oryzae, and F. graminearum. Amphotericin B, voriconazole (ATB Fungus 3, BioMerieux), and flutriafol PESTANAL®, containing the antifungal compound (R,S)-2,4-difluoro (1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)benzhydryl (Sigma-Aldrich), were used as positive controls. To determine the Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) by brothmicrodilution method, the initial inoculum was sub-cultured from microwell plates containing the extract where no fungal growth was observed (100% inhibition) in fresh culture medium, free of the essential oil, and Petri plates were examined for 10 days at 24 h interval [31–33]. The MFC is defined as the sample lowest concentration causing total reduction of the initial inoculum on culture medium. All bioassays were performed in triplicate. Acknowledgements This work has been supported by a grant (no 20110941) from the Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior, Ciencia y Tecnología (SENESCYT) del Ecuador. . Author Contribution Statement J.R., G.G. and J.M. collected the plant material; M.J. and J.M. performed the olfactometric analysis; J.R., C.C. and G.G. performed the chemical and enantiomeric analyses; J.R., G.V. and C.B. wrote and revised the article; J.R. and G.G. elaborated the analytical data; M.R. and M.L.G. performed the biological activity test. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. References Accepted Article [1] R. Borges, L.B. Rojas, J.A. Cegarra, A. Usubillaga, ‘Study of the essential oils from the leaves and flowers of Lepechinia conferta ( Benth ) Epl’, Flavour and Fragrance Journal 2006, 21, 155-157. [2] S.R. Fuselli, S.B. García de la Rosa, M.J. Eguaras, R. Fritz, ‘Susceptibility of the honeybee bacterial pathogen Paenibacillus larvae to essential oils distilled from exotic and indigenous Argentinean plants’, Journal of Essential Oil Research 2008, 20, 464-470. [3] J. Lopez Arze, G. Collin, F. Garneau, F. Jean, H. 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