Essential Oil Composition and AndmicrobialAcdvity of<i>Rosmarinus tournefortii</i>De Noe., an Endemic Species in Morocco

Abstract

Abstract Abstract This study was designed to investigate for the first time the essential oil of the leaves of wild growing Rosmarinus tournefortii De Noe endemic in Morocco in order to find new bioactive natural products. The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation was characterized by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Ten components, representing 70 % of the total oil, were identified, and unidentified compounds made up 21.6 % of the oil were also present. The oil was screened for antimicrobial activity against both Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus hirae) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria and a pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. Except for P. aeruginosa, the oil had pronounced antibacterial and antifungal activities. Key words: Rosmarinus tournefortii Essential oilAntibacterial activityAntifungal activity