Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Study of Essential Oil from the Leaves ofCurcuma harithaMangaly and Sabu

The essential oil obtained from the fresh leaves of Curcuma haritha by hydrodistillation was analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Forty one constituents, representing 97.0 % of the analysed oil constituted mainly by oxygenated mono and sesqui terpenes. Curdione (18.3 %), 1,8-cineole (11.8 %), camphor (11.8 %), furanogermenone (8.6 %) and furanodiene (8.9 %) were identified as the major constituents in C. haritha leaf oil. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the leaf oil was studied by agar disc diffusion technique. The leaf essential oil was tested against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains and pathogenic fungal species of Candida. The leaf oil at 1:1 dilution with DMSO was found to be more active against fungal strains than bacterial strains. Antibacterial activity was significant only against Gram positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus.