The ornamental plant Brazilian pepper invades aquatic and terrestrial habitats, reducing the quality of native South Florida biotic communities. The isolation and characterization of the essentials oils from the fruits, leaves and bark was done to study the nature of their properties and actions. Following the extraction by simple steam distillation, the oils were isolated using a �Green Technique� based on the freezing points of the substances. Characterization of the major components involved GC, Infrared, and Refractive Index. Targets molecules were modeled using SPARTAN Software calculating its electronic and molecular properties. Chemical differences were found in the essential oils of the seeds, leaves and bark. Brazilian pepper is known worldwide for its diverse ethnobotanical properties, such as wound healing, larvae control for the Aedes aegiptis mosquito, and antioxidant properties. Future research may prove that utilizing this abundant invasive species as a resource could benefit both human health and the environment.

Brazilian pepper: An invasive tree in the South Florida Everglades with beneficial properties for human health

245th National Meeting (2013)

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