Investigation of Chemical Constituents of Ocimum basilicum Oil and its Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract

The oil extracted from Ocimum basilicum was investigated by GC-MS analysis. The fatty acid content of the oil was determined by retention times and the observed fragmentation pattern. Twenty four components were detected in total ion chromatograms being dominated by : (i)9,12-Octadecadienoic acid methyl ester(40.77%) (ii)-9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic acid methyl ester(26.56%) (iii)-Hexdecanoic acid methyl ester(14.74%) (iv)-Methyl stearate (9.83%). The antimicrobial activity of the oil against five standard human pathogens has been attempted . However , no responses were recorded.