Antimicrobial Activity of Santalbic Acid from the Oil of Santalum acuminatum (Quandong)

Abstract

Kernels of Santalum acuminatum were investigated for antimicrobial activity due to their reported medicinal use by Australian aborigines. Santalbic acid (trans- 11-octa-decen-9-ynoic acid), which is a major constituent of the oil, was an inhibitor of Gram-positive bacteria and a number of pathogenic fungi in standardised bioassays but the un-saponified oil and other kernel components were inactive.