Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oils from Annona cherimol a(Annonaceae )

Abstract

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained b y steam distillation of the fresh leaves, flowers and fruits from Annon a cherimol awas analyzed by means of Gas Chromatography-Mas s Spectrometry (GC/MS). Sixty constituents were identified from th e oils. While bicyclogermacrene, tran s-caryophyllene and δ-amo r - phene were found to be the major constituents in the oil of the leaves ; bicyclogermacrene, α-terpinolene and germacrene D were the majo r constituents in the oil of the flowers and β-pinene, α-terpinolene, β - fenchyl alcohol and α-pinene were the major constituents in the oil o f the fruits. Th ein vitr oantimicrobial activity of the three essential oil s and of some of their major constituents against five Gra m(±) bact e - ria and one fungus is reported .