INVESTIGATION OF CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT OF ESSENTIAL OILS FROM BASIL (Ocimum basilicum L.) GROWN IN BINH ĐINH

Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a source of essential oils containing ingredients
with antibacterial and antifugal activities. The content of essential oils extracted
from basil grown in Binh Dinh obtained by steam distillation method accounted for
0.64% of the weight of fresh samples. Result of gas chromatography combined
mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of the essential oils showed that the oils contained
twenty-five components (which were identified) with a total content of 99.99%.
Methyl chavicol was the constituent with the highest content in essential oils
(85.92%). The essential oils had the ability to strongly inhibit the growth of Candida
albicans, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with inhibition diameter of
22mm, 17mm and 16mm, respectively.