Antimicrobial activity of Monodora myristica seed oil

Abstract

Oil was extracted from fresh pulverized seeds of Monodora myristica through steam distillation. The oil extracted was dried and some physical and chemical properties of the oil were determined. The antimicrobial activity of Monodora myristica seed oil was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. The percentage yield of the volatile oil was 1.3o/o (w/w ). Phytochemical tests revealed the presence of tannins, glycosides, saponins, flavonoids and carbohydrates in the fresh seed. The essential oil is colourless, bitter with nice smell and the density is 0.789 g/ml. The oil had antimicrobial activity of the oil against Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus among the tested organism and can be incorporated into cream as antimicrobial agent and as a perfume.

Key words: Monodora myristica, anti-microbial screening, phytochemical tests, oils.

Journal of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences Vol.2(2) 2004: 233-236