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The rhizome essential oils of Curcuma angustifolia from Central and Southern India were subjected to GC/ MS analysis, which resulted in the identification of 81 and 78 constituents, accounting for more than 95 and 99% of the oil contents, respectively. The major constituents in the rhizome oil from Central India were xanthorrhizol isomer (12.7%), methyl eugenol (10.5%), palmitic acid (5.2%) and camphor (4.2%), while the rhizomes oil from Travancore (Southern India) had germacrone (12.8%), camphor (12.3%), isoborneol (8.7%), curdione (8.4%) and 1,8-cineole (4.8%) as major constituents. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The leaves of Indian yew Taxus wallichiana, growing in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, on hydro- distillation, gave 0.025% oil on a fresh weight basis. GC and GC-MS analysis of the oil resulted in the identification of 62 constituents, representing 93.3% of the oil. The main constituents identified in the leaf oil were (E)-2-octen-1-ol (14.5%), n-pentacosane (8.1%), caryophyllene oxide (7.1%), 1-octanol (6.5%), hexanoic acid (5.5%) and (Z)-3-hexenol (4.1%). Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The essential oils of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae) were isolated from its rhizomes and leaves by hydrodistillation. The oils were analyzed by high resolution GC and GC/MS. Fifty-two constituents were identifed from rhizome oil representing 98.6% of the oil. The major constituents of the oil were α-turmerone (44.1%), β-turmerone (18.5%) and ar-turmerone (5.4%). From the leaf oil, 61 compounds were identifed constituting 99.8% of the oil and main constituents were α-phellandrene (53.4%), terpinolene (11.5%) and 1,8-cineole (10.5%).

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of staminate inflorescences of kewda (Pandanus odoratissimus L.) has been compared with the kewda oil from the local market. Both the oils were sub- jected to high-resolution GC and GC-MS, which resulted in the identification and quantification of 85 and 59 components, amounting to 98.7% and 98.6% of the total oils, respectively. The major components of the hydrodistilled kewda oil were 2-phenyl ethyl methyl ether (37.7%), terpinen-4-ol (18.6%), α-terpineol (8.3%) and 2-phenyl ethyl alcohol (7.5%), whereas the major constituents of kewda oil from the local market were 2-phenyl ethyl alcohol (33.2%), 2-phenyl ethyl methyl ether (16.1%), benzyl benzoate (11.0%), viridine (8.8%) and germacrene B (8.3%). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The volatile leaf oil of Juniperus chinensis L., gown as ornamental tree in the plains of northern India, was examined by GC and GC-MS. Thirty-three components representing 94.8% of the oil were characterized with sabinene (19.8%), elemol (18.6%), bornyl acetate (17.5%) and limonene (14.2%) as major constituents. The oil was found to be polymorphic neither for cedrene/thujopsene/cedrol (typical juniper wood oil components) nor for phenolics such as methyl chavicol, safrole, methyl eugenol and elemicin, derived from phenyl propanoid pathway. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The essential oils of Syzygium aromaticum were isolated from its buds and leaves by hydrodistillation. The oils were analyzed by high resolution GC and GC-MS. Twenty-eight and 35 constituents representing 99.9% each were identified from the bud oils of Indian and Madagascan origins, respectively. On the other hand leaf oil from Madagascar resulted in the identification of 22 constituents representing 99.9% of the oil. The major constituents in bud and leaf oils were eugenol and β-caryophyllene. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Biological and chemical investigations were carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of Callistemon pinifolius and C. salignus leaf oils for herbal medicines. Disk diffusion and micro broth dilution methods were used for the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils against selected strains of bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes and Escherichia coli) and fungi ( Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton rubrum, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, and Sporothrix schenckii). Analysis of the leaf essential oil of C. pinifolius and C. salignus using GC and GC-MS resulted in the identification of fifty five and fifty one compounds, respectively. 1,8-Cineole (39.1% and 40.8%), α-pinene (26.7% and 24.2%), and ( E)-β-terpineol (9.6% and 13.5%), were the major constituents. The isolated essential oils could be of use for the future development of antimicrobial agents.

Biological and chemical investigations were carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of Melaleuca genistifolia leaf oil for herbal medicines. The disk diffusion and micro broth dilution methods were used for the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and its major constituent, methyl eugenol against the five selected bacterial and five fungal strains. The oil was active against all the tested bacterial and fungal strains. The oil was highly active against Staphylococcus epidermidis and significantly active against S. aureus, Sporothrix schenckii and Trichophyton rubrum, while methyl eugenol was significantly active against Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli. GC and GC-MS analysis of the oil resulted in the identification of twenty two constituents representing 99.4% of the oil. The chemo type identified had a high methyl eugenol (88.1%) content. The essential oil could be of use for the future development of antimicrobial herbal products.