Abstract
The essential oils from fresh and dried rhizomes of Alpinia galanga showed an antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, a yeast and some
dermatophytes, using the agar overlay technique. The main components of the oils were
also tested and terpinen-4-ol was found most active. An n-pentane/diethyl ether extract of dried rhizomes was active against Trichophyton mentagrophytes. 1′-Acetoxychavicol acetate, 1′-acetoxyeugenol acetate and 1′-hydroxychavicol acetate
identified by MS and NMR were found in the antifungally active fractions obtained
by LSC. Acetoxychavicol acetate was active against the seven fungi tested and its
MIC value for dermatophytes ranged from 50 to 250 µg/ml. Dried sliced rhizomes contained
1.5% of this compound. The compound was not found in rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum, Zingiber officinale and Kaempferia galanga.
