Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Curcuma longa L. Essential Oils

The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of the essential oil of Curcuma longa L and its anti-oxidant, antimicrobial and physicochemical properties.The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled essential oils of Curcuma longa L was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sixty five compounds representing 93 % of the total oil were identified; the major components were & alpha;-tumerone (28.02 %), 13-sesquiphellandrene(9,98%),Zingiberene(10,37),13-tumerone (9.85 %), ar-tumerone (2.61 %), and ar-curcumene (8.57 %), 13-curcumene (5.70 %).The antioxidant activities of the oil and various extracts of Curcuma longa L were evaluated by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and superoxide radical-scavenging assays in 100 g of Curcuma langa L powder The half-maximal inhibitory concentration of oil and methanol extract showed value (17.976 and 21.678 & mu;g/ml) respectively, ethanol extract (36.446 & mu;g/ml) showed moderate radical scavenging activity toward ascorbic acid (14.105 & mu;g/ml). The antimicrobial activity was carried using diffusion agar method against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli.The highest and broadest activity was shown on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.