ACTIVIDAD PROMISORIA DE ACEITES ESENCIALES ESPECIES PERTENECIENTES A LA TRIBU PIPEREAE FRENTE A Artemia salina Y Xanthomonas albilineans

the genera piper and lepianthes have been used as a source of insecticides and natural medicines. the antifungal, insecticide, antifeeding, stimulant, bactericidal and cytotoxic properties of many of their extracts are known. the aim of this study was to establish the potential of essential oils from three species of these genera as candidates for the development of products with pesticide and antitumoral activity. the essential oils from p. auritum (ca1), p. aduncum subsp. ossanum (pao1) and l. umbellata (lu1) were obtained by hydrodistillation in a clevenger-type apparatus and they were studied for their antitumoral activity by the brine shrimp lethality bioassay. the essential oils were tested against xanthomonas albilineans (serovars i and iii) for antibacterial properties using agar diffusion and poisoning medium methods. the essential oils showed 100 % of mortality of artemia at 24 hours at concentrations of 250, 500 y 1000 μg/ml (ld50<100 μg/ml; ld50<125 μg/ml; ld50<250 μg/ml) for ca1, lu1 and pao1 respectively. the bioassay for antimicrobial activity showed that the essential oils pao1 and ca1 had a strong bactericidal activity. an inhibition of bacterial growth was at a minimum inhibitory concentration (mic) less than 1,25 ml/ml against serovar i and a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0,5 and 1 ml/ml of ca1 and pao1, respectively, against serovar iii observed. ca1, lu1 and pao1 are botanical candidates with pesticide and antitumoral potential.