Composition of the Essential Oil of Ocimum gratissimum Grown in Rwanda1.
The essential oil of OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM, growing wild in Rwanda, was investigated by LSC, GLC, and GC-MS. The oil contained 35% thymol and 11% eugenol, which may indicate the occurrence of a new chemotype of the species. A large amount of hydrocarbons (42%) including 18% P-cymene was also found. The oil showed a relatively strong antimicrobial effect. The oil of O. GRATISSIMUM, cultivated in Rwanda from seeds collected in Cameroon, consisted of 47% thymol and only 0.3% eugenol. This sample contained 49% hydrocarbons, including 23% gamma-terpinene. Most of the constituents detected in the oil samples were not previously known to be present in the essential oil of O. GRATISSIMUM.
Ntezurubanza
L
L
Division of Pharmacognosy, Center for Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leiden University, Gorlaeus Laboratories, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Scheffer
J J
JJ
Svendsen
A B
AB