ESSENTIAL OILS OF ANNONACEAE .3. VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS OF XYLOPIA-FRUTESCENS, X-PYNAERTII AND X-SERICEA - CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STUDY

The essential oils from three Xylopia species (X. frutescens, X. pynae rtii, X. sericea), Annonaceae, have been examined by GC and GC/MS, and screened for bacteriostatic and fungistatic activities. The main comp onents of each oil have been identified. The major constituents of X. frutescens stem bark oil were alpha-cubebene (25.2%) and delta-cadinol (27.4%). The root of X. pynaertii was rich in elemol (27.1%), while t he stem bark oil contained delta-cadinene (10.3%), gamma-muurolene (10 .1%) and cubenol (l2.6%). The major components of X. sericea root bark oil were p-cymene (22.8%) and alpha-gurjunene (13.8%). These oils exh ibited moderate bacteriostatic and fungistatic activities.