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Planta Med 1987; 53(5): 421-423
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-962762
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© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Composition of the Essential Oil of Ocimum gratissimum Grown in Rwanda1

L. Ntezurubanza, J. J. C. Scheffer, A. Baerheim Svendsen
  • Division of Pharmacognosy, Center for Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leiden University, Gorlaeus Laboratories, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
1 Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Max von Schantz on the occassion of his 65th birthday.
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Publication History

1987

Publication Date:
24 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

The essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum, growing wild in Rwanda, was investigated by LSC, GLC, and GC-MS. The oil contained 35% thymol and 11% eugenol, which may indicate the occurrence of a new chemotype of the species. A large amount of hydrocarbons (42%) including 18% p-cymene was also found. The oil showed a relatively strong antimicrobial effect.

The oil of O. gratissimum, cultivated in Rwanda from seeds collected in Cameroon, consisted of 47% thymol and only 0.3% eugenol. This sample contained 49% hydrocarbons, including 23% γ-terpinene. Most of the constituents detected in the oil samples were not previously known to be present in the essential oil of O. gratissimum.