Shahid H. Ansari

Hydrodistilled volatile oil obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma oligantha Trimen var. oligantha (Zingiberaceae) was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The volatile oil was composed mainly of cinnamyl cinnamate (88.0 %), linalool (2.9 %) and α-phellandrene (2,2 %).  Among the nine monoterpenes (6.9 %) present in the oil, the prominent ones were linalool  (2.9%) and α-phellandrene (2.2 %). The oil contained ten sesquiterpenes (2.8 %) comprising mainly (2Z,6E)-farnesyl acetate (1.2%). The aliphatic constituents (2.5 %) were characterized as n-heptadecane, n-octadecanal, n-hexadecanol (1.4 %)  and n- hexadecanoic acid. About 15 components occurred in trace amounts in the oil. The volatile oil and ethanolic extract of the rhizomes showed significant antimicrobial activity.