Terpenoid composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Torilis japonica (Houtt.) DC.

Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, Nainital-263 002, Uttarakhand, India

Department of Biotechnology, Bhimtal Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India

E-mail : geeta_k@rediffmail.com

Manuscript received online 04 March 2015, accepted 06 October 2016

Chemical composition of Torilis japonica (Houtt.) DC. growing wild in the central Himalayan region, was analyzed by capillary GC and GC-MS. The oil was found to be rich in sesquiterpine hydrocarbons (59.47%). A total of 44 compounds were identified representing 94.28% of the oil. Germacrene D (25.86%), α-humulene (14.64%), \(\beta\)- caryophyllene (11.33%), nootkatone (10.80%) and caryophyllene oxide (5.07%) were found to be the principal constituents. T. japonica essential oil demonstrated bactericidal and fungicidial activity against six bacterial strains and two fungal strains respectively by agar well diffusion method.