| Summary: | Considering the therapeutic potential of <i>Varronia curassavica</i> Jacq. essential oil and the great value in the pharmaceutical market, this study aims to evaluate the influence of plant age on the chemical composition and biological activities of <i>V. curassavica</i> Jacq. essential oil. The plant age is a parameter that can influence the chemical composition of the essential oil, as well as its pharmacological potential. For this purpose, essential oils from aerial parts of <i>V. curassavica</i> produced at different ages (4, 10, 14 and 18 months-age) were used. According to chromatograms obtained by GC-MS, the essential oils were mainly composed of α-pinene, <i>trans</i>-caryophyllene, α-santalene, alloaromadendrene and α-humulene. The chemical composition of <i>V. curassavica</i> essential oils varied qualitatively and quantitatively with the aging of the plants, and the essential oils from plants at 18 month-age appeared to be the most distinct from the others. The tested essential oil samples showed inhibitory activity against <i>Candida albicans</i> (MIC = 1000 µg/mL) but did not show antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria. The cytotoxic activity levels against the murine macrophages varied among the oils extracted from the plants at different ages; the IC<sub>50</sub> values of the essential oils increased with age (171.90 µg/mL at 18 month-age). More studies should be carried out to assess whether age also affects the therapeutic effects of essential oils, resulting in the manufacture of plant-derived formulations that balance production costs, toxicity and therapeutic effects.
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