MELALEUCA CAJUPUTI AND CYMPOBOGON CITRATUS ESSENTIAL OILS FROM THE CENTRAL VIETNAM: NEW INSIGHTS INTO PHYTOCHEMICALS AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

Abstract

The extractions of Melaleuca cajuputi and Cympobogon. citratus essential oils (EOs) cultivated in the
Central Vietnam were accomplished by hydrodistillation method with yields 0.78% and 0.51%, respectively.
The obtained EOs were then screened for chemical compositions using gas chromatography-mass
spectrometry (GC-MS). The results indicated 33 compounds which constitute 98.94% of the total content of
the M. cajuputi EO in which 1,8-cineole (46.95%) and α-terpineol (12.54%) were major ingredients. For the
C. citratus EO, 19 compounds accounting for 96.65% of the EO content were analyzed with major
components include citral (a mixture of two isomers neral and geranial, 73.90%) and myrcene (6.96%).
These EOs were also tested for in vitro antimicrobial activity. Both of EOs displayed antimicrobial effect
against four microbial strains E. coli, S. aureus, A. niger and S. cerevisiae. While M. cajuputi EO gave the same
MIC values (50µg/ml) against these four strains, the identical MIC values (100µg/ml) were obtained in case
of C. citratus EO.