Essential oil analysis of some plant species and antimicrobial activities

The present study was conducted to evaluate the chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of essential oils of Ocimum basilicum var. album(L) Benth, Lavandula angustifolia subsp. angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Thymus vulgaris L., Mentha piperita, Salvia officinalis. The chemical composition of a hydrodistilled essential oils of Ocimum basilicum var.album(L) Benth., Lavandula angustifolia subsp. angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Thymus vulgaris L., Mentha piperita, Salvia officinalis was analyzed by a GC/MS system. Ocimum basilicum var .album(L) Benth essential oil contains 1,6- octadien-3-ol,3,7-dimethyl (53.79%), Lavandula angustifolia subsp. angustifolia essential oil 1,6-octadien-3-ol,3,7-dimethyl(42.07%), Melissa officinalis essential oil dlimonene (26%). Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil contains eucalyptol(80.30%), Mentha piperita essential oil (28.75%), Salvia officinalis essential oil contains (1R)-2,6,6- trimethylbicyclo(33.62%). Antimicrobial screening of the essential oils was made by disc diffusion. The antimicrobial test results showed that the Ocimum basilicum var. album(L) Benth, Melissa officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia subsp. angustifolia, Thymus vulgaris, Mentha piperita, Salvia officinalis essential oils have great potential of antimicrobial activity against all three (Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6338) Gram positive, Escherichia coli (ATCC 10536), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442) Gram negative bacteria), one fungi(Aspergillus niger), one yeast (Candida albicans) species tested.