Essential Oil Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. macrocarpa (S. et Sm.) BalI. Growing in Oum El Bouaghi (Semi- arid area), Algeria

Leaf essential oils of Juniperus oxycedrus (Cupressaceae) wild grown in the region of Oum El Bouaghi (semi- arid area) in Algeria have been analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Fifty seven compounds were identified in the leave oils. The leaf oils were mainly composed of 5-Tetradecen-1-ol, acetate, (Z)-(12.9%) ç-Muurolene (9.1%), α-Cadinol (5.1%) (ñ)-Cadinene (3.9 %) and some other compounds which were only present in minor amounts.

Aims: This study aimed to extracted, identification of essential oils of Leaves of J. oxycedrus L. ssp. macrocarpa (S. et Sm.) BalI. growing in Oum El Bouaghi (semi- arid area), Algeria and evaluation of their antibacterial capacity.

Results: The GC/MS analysis of the Leaves of J. oxycedrus L. (yielded 0, 36 %) permitted the identification of fifty seven components. The composition and percentage of the compounds are listed by their order of retention times. The main constituents of the essential oil were composed of 5-Tetradecen-1-ol, acetate, (Z) - (12.9%) ç-Murolene (9.1%), α-Cadinol (5.1%) (ñ)-Cadinene (3.9 %) and some other compounds were only present in minor amounts. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils were evaluated by the disc diffusion method and tested against Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Results showed that Staphylococcus aureus was the highly resistant to the essential oil.

Conclusion: The results of analysis of the components Leaves of Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. macrocarpa (S. et Sm.) BalI. growing in Oum El Bouaghi (semi- arid area), Algeria, permitted the identification of fifty seven components. The essential oil showed that the essential oil of juniperus oxycedrus has the potential to act as an antibacterial agent.