Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Callistemon speciosus (Sims) DC. growing in Rwanda

V. Kajangwe; J. C. Chalchat; J. Rutayisire; A. Ndagijimana; M. J. Mukazayire; P. Duez

doi:10.1055/s-0028-1084927

Planta Medica, Table of Contents

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Callistemon speciosus (Sims) DC. growing in Rwanda

V Kajangwe ¹, JC Chalchat ², J Rutayisire ³, A Ndagijimana ¹, MJ Mukazayire ¹^,⁴, P Duez ⁴

¹Researcher, Institute of Research in Science and Technology (IRST), P.BOX 227, Rwanda; Fax, 250 530 939)
²Laboratory of Photochemistry, Molecular and Macromolecular, Chemistry of Essential Oils, Blaise Pascal Clermont University, 63177, Aubière Cédex, France.
³National University of Rwanda; Butare, Rwanda.
⁴Free University of Brussels (ULB), Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Bromatology and Human Nutrition, Institute of Pharmacy, CP 205–9, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

The essential oil obtained by steam distillation of Callistemon speciosus (leaves) growing in southern province of Rwanda was analysed by GC and GC/MS [1–4] in order to identify the chemical constituents. The major components obtained are: 1, 8 Cineol (81.8%); α-pinene (8.1%), α- terpineol (5.7%), β-pinene (0.6%), linalool (0.4%) and myrcene 0.3%. The antimicrobial activity was determined by the disc diffusion methods against micro organisms obtained from clinical isolates: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus pneumonias and Bacillus mycoïdes [5]. The results showed that Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were more sensitive (MIC=0.1µl/ml) than Streptococcus pneumonias, Bacillus mycoïdes and Salmonella typhi (MIC=5;10 and 10µl/ml resp.). Before our study the plant was unknown to be rich in 1,8 cineol; and this report is a part of an extensive investigation on the aromatic plants growing in Rwanda area.

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