Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Alpinia officinarum rhizome

摘要

The essential oil of the rhizome of Alpinia officinarum collected from West Bengal, India has been isolated by hydrodistillation and analysed by means or GLC and GC-MS in apolar and polar columns. Forty-nine compounds representing 99.21%, of the oil have been identified. The major constituents of the essential oil of the rhizome are 1,8-cineole (55.39%), Delta(3)- carene (8.96%), beta-pinene (4.29%), camphene (2.81%), limonene (2.80%), isocaryophyllene (2.52%), camphor (2.35%), a-pinene (2.27%), gamma-terpinene (2.23%) and gamma-cadinene (2.17%). The oil shows antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis (Gram positive), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhi (Grain negative), and antifungal activity against Candida albicans.