Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and CO₂ extracts of the oriental tobacco, Prilep

Abstract

Abstract A study of the chemical composition of essential oil and CO 2 extracts of the middle and upper leaf positions of the oriental tobacco Prilep was performed using GC and GC–MS. The major constituents were: in the essential oil, neophytadiene and solanone; in CO 2 extract I, neophytadiene; and in CO 2 extract II, nicotine, nonacosane and solanesol. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and CO 2 extracts were investigated against the microorganisms: Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The results showed that oil from the middle leaves showed greater activity than the oil of the upper leaves. Both leaf oils mainly showed greater activity than CO 2 extracts. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.