Journal of Essential Oil Research
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjeo2015
Chemical composition and antibacterial activitiy of the
essential oils of Algerian Myrtus communis L.
Aïcha Henniaa, Moussa Bradab, Saïd Nemmichea, Marie-Laure Fauconnierc & Georges Lognayd
a Département de Biotechnologie, Faculté SNV, Université de Mostaganem, Mostaganem,
Algeria
b Laboratoire de Valorisation des Substances Naturelles, Université deKhemis-Miliana, Route
de Thenia-Souffay, W. Aïn-Defla, Algeria
c Departement Agro Bio Chem, Laboratoire de Chimie Générale et Organique, Université de
Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
d Departement Agro Bio Chem, Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique, Université de Liège,
Gembloux, Belgium
Received: 27 Mar 2014 ; Accepted: 24 Feb 2015 ; Published online: 25 Mar 2015
Abstract
Myrtus communis L. leaf essential oils from Algeria were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A total of thirty-four components were identified accounting for 95% of the oil. The main compounds were limonene (23.4%), linalool (15.4%), geranyl acetate (10.9%), α-pinene (10.7%), linalyl acetate (8.2%) and 1,8-cineole (6.6%).The antimicrobial evaluation showed that myrtle oil exhibited good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis and Kleibsiella pneumonia, but differed according to the strains. Conversely, it was not active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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