Resumen de Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Amomum tsao-ko
Yang Yang, Run-Wei Yan, Xiao-Qiang Cai, Zhong-Liang Zheng, Guo-Lin Zou
BACKGROUND: The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the dried fruits of Amomum tsao-ko was analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). The antimicrobial activity of the oil was evaluated against 16 micro-organisms using agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. RESULTS: Seventy-three compounds, constituting about 97.56% of the total oil, were identified. The main components were 1,8-cineole (45.24%), ρ-propylbenzaldehyde (6.04%), geraniol (5.11%), geranial (4.52%), α-terpineol (3.59%) and α-phellandrene (3.07%). The essential oil showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against all the tested micro-organisms, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. The oil exerted the strongest bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus CCTCC AB91118, with minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of 0.20 g L−1. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the Amomum tsao-ko essential oil could be one of new medicinal resources for antibacterial and antifungal agents. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
