Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Peumus boldus leaves

The composition and the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from th e leaves of Peumus boldus is investigated. Analyses of the oil obtained by hydrodistillation were carried out by GC and GC-MS using columns of two dif ferent stationary phases. Fractionation of the essential oil by column chro matography on silica gel was performed to improve identification of some co nstituents. More than 90% of the total oil (46 components) was identified, major constituents being monoterpenes (90.5%), among which limonene (17.0%) , p-cymene (13.6%), 1,8-cineole (11.8%), and beta-phellandrene (8.4%) reach ed the highest percentages. Determination of the minimal bactericidal or fu ngicidal concentration against several microorganisms showed interesting ac tivities towards Streptococcus pyogenes, Micrococcus sp., and Candida sp.