World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

GC-MS ANALYSIS AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SAUDI OCIMUM BASILICUM (LAMIACEAE.) ESSENTIAL OIL

Abdel Karim M.*, Solima I. and Tuhami E. Hagr

ABSTRACT

Ocimum basilicum, which has been used for centuries in traditional medicine, is a potential medicinal plant. It is a medium size herb in the family Lamiaceae. The plant contains bioactive constituents like tannins, saponins and cardiac glycosides. Ocimum basilicum essential oils has been used traditionally against, nervous disorders and digestive troubles. This study was designed to investigate the constituents of Ocimum basilicum essential oil and to screen its antimicrobial potential. Ocimum basilicum was investigated by GC-MS analysis. The GC-MS analysis revealed the following major constituents: 9,12-octadecadienoic acid methyl ester(40.77%); 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid methyl ester(26.56%); hexadecanoic acid methyl ester(14.74%) and methyl stearate (9.83%). Ocimum basilicum oil was investigated for antimicrobial activity against five standard microbial isolates. However, the oil failed to give antimicrobial potential against the following microbial isolates: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans.

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