LAUSR

Abstract This study aimed to compare the chemistry of plant volatile compounds (VCs) of the unripe and ripe fruit of Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The yield, density, qualitative and quantitative composition, chemical diversity and equitability of the samples were compared. Both essential oils had residual traces of sesquiterpenoids and are mainly composed of monoterpenes which represent 80.65% of the total compounds identified for unripe fruits oil and 81.36% for ripe oil. The predominant substances of the VCs of the ripe fruits were δ-3-carene (46.67%) and α-pinene (14.98%), whereas the major compounds of that of the unripe fruit were limonene (37.49%) and δ-3-carene (19.98%). Only 13 of the 98 substances studied were common to both samples. The yield of essential oil from the fruit of S. terebinthifolia as the raw material for extraction, ripe fruit were twice more productive than the unripe fruit ones. In the ripe fruit, δ-3 carene and α-pinene are possible chemical markers of this species, while limonene can be used as a substance characteristic for unripe fruit. The results suggest differences in chemical composition between the ripe and unripe fruit of S. terebinthifolia according to its ripening stage and raise subsidies for a plant of natural extractivism of Brazilian Pepper.