Secondary Metabolites, Photosynthetic Pigments, Mineral Composition, and Antiproliferative Screening of Hydrodistillation Wastewater from Two Campomanesia (Myrtaceae) Species

Resumo

Hydrodistillation wastewater generated during essential oil extraction is commonly discarded, even though it may contain significant amounts of bioactive compounds. In this study, the chemical composition and antiproliferative screening of wastewater obtained from Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess.) O.Berg (CAWW) and Campomanesia sessiliflora (O.Berg) Mattos(CSWW) leaves were evaluated. Total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanins, photosynthetic pigments, mineral composition, and infrared spectral profiles were determined. Both samples exhibited expressive levels of phenolic compounds, with CAWW presenting higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents, while CSWW showed higher tannin levels and detectable anthocyanins. Carotenoids were detected in both samples, and chlorophyll α was identified only in CSWW. Mineral analysis revealed the presence of macro and micronutrients in both wastewaters. In the antiproliferative screening, CAWW and CSWW inhibited the growth of selected tumor cell lines (HT-29, MCF-7, and UACC-62) at less than 250 µg mL^–1. The results indicate that hydrodistillation wastewater from Campomanesia species retains chemically relevant constituents and demonstrates biological potential. This evidence advances the chemical characterization of the genus and highlight the value of this by-product as a promising resource for future research and applications.