Abstract:
Acknowledgements
Thank to Almighty Allah for giving me health to complete this work
successfully. I am greatly indebted to Prof. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Karim, for
his keen interest, supervision, encouragement, support, and guidance
throughout this study. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Faroug
Bakheit Elsonni,for his support and encouragement. I am grateful to Dr.
Hassan Alamein, for his kind help.Imust not forget to thank Dr. Atif Babker
for his great help. Thanks to my family for their continual support. Also my
thanks extend to laboratory staff of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
Research Institute, and to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry- Sudan
for all facilities.iv
Abstract
The essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus, Brassica nigra and
Cymbopogon nervatus were analyzed by GC-MS. In addition, these oils
were investigated for antimicrobial activity.
GC-MS revealed that the dominant constituents in Cymbopogon citrates oil
are; 2,6-octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl (E) (43.20%), 2,6-octadienal,3,7-dimethyl
(Z) (31.36%) and 5, hepten-2-one, 6-methyl (3.87%). The major
constituents in the oil of Brassica nigra were; 13-docosenoic acid, methyl
ester (35.65%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z) , methyl ester (18.20%),
11-eicosenoic acid, methyl ester (12.82%), 9-Z-octadecenoic acid, methyl
ester (8.90%), 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, methyl ester (8.60%),
hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (3.83%), 15-tetracosenoic acid, methyl
ester (3.77) and Cis-11-eicosenoic acid, methyl ester (2%). Most dominant
constituents in the oil of Cymbopogon nervatus are;P-mentha-1(7),8-dien-
2-ol (24.27%), trans-p-mentha-1(7),8-dien-2-ol (21.07%), trans-p-mentha-
2,8-dienol (13.28%), carveol (10.43%), cis-p-mentha-2,8-dien-1-ol
(9.43%), ]1,1-bicyclopentyl[-2-one (5.65%), (-)-carvone (5.27%) and Dlimonene (2.41%). In the disc diffusion bioassay, Cymbopogon citrates oil
showed excellent antibacterial activity against all test bacteria at 100 mg/ml
but did it not exhibit any anticandidal activity. It also showed excellent
activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa at 50 and 25mg/ml. Significant
antimicrobial activity was observed for Cymbopogon nervatus oil at 100
mg /ml for all test organisms. Brassica nigra oil showed excellent
antimicrobial activity at 100 mg/ml against all test organisms except for S.v
aureus. It also exhibited significant activity against B. subtilis and E. coli at
50 and 25 mg/ml.vi
