Chemical Constituents and Antimicrobial Activity of Volatile Oil from Curcuma comosa Rhizome

Abstract

The constituents of volatile oil hydrodistilled from rhizome of Curcuma comosa Roxb. (Zingiberaceae), yielded 0.06% of fresh weight, were examined by GC/MS. The analysis has shown that the major constituents of the oil of C. comosa were 1,8-cineol (eucalyptol) and pmentha- 1,4(8)-diene (terpinolene). The volatile oil exhibited antimicrobial activity towards five microbial strains e.g. Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Microsporum gypseum.