CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIBACTRIAL ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF SCHINUS MOLLE

The constituents of essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of Schinus molle L. Anacardiaceae family, from
Ethiopia was examined by GC-MS. A total of 16 components were identified accounting for 92.2 % of the oil. The essential oil of
S.molle contained as main components ?-phellandrene ( 20.6% ), ?-Phellandrene (10.8%), ?-pinene (8.7%), ?-pinene (5.1%), ?-
myrcene (6.9%), ?-elemene (5.0%), copane (6.5%), germacrene (5.8%), ?-cadinene (6.3%) and ?-humulene (5.4%). The essential oil
of S.molle showed no significant antibacterial activity against gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) but less inhibition towards gram
negative bacteria ( Escherichia coli).