Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from Cinnamomum Riparium Gamble and its Antibacterial and Antioxidant Screening

Author(s)

Muneera, M., Mathew, M., Hareeshbabu, E.

Author's Affiliation

Abstract

Cinnamomum riparium Gamble (Lauraceae) is a tree growing along the streams in evergreen forests and traditionally used for treating conditions like wounds, fever, intestinal worms, headache, inflammations, menstrual problems etc. and the activity, according to tribals, is mainly due to the volatile oil present in it. But as per published reports much works have not been carried out so far using its volatile oil. Hence it was thought worth to  do the research work on this plant so that the claimed properties could be scientifically proved and if possible novel compounds or even effective formulations could be released finally for the use of the public at a low cost. For that the leaves and bark were collected from Cherupuzha, Kannur District and subjected to successive solvent extraction using pet ether, chloroform and ethanol (70%). Maximum yield was obtained for ethanol extract. Then the leaf and bark oils were also extracted using a clavenger apparatus. As the next step, the leaf and bark extracts as well as leaf and bark oils were tried for antioxidant activity using DPPH and H₂O₂ radical scavenging assays. Both of them gave significant results. Then the oils were subjected to GC-MS analysis. The main constituents present in both the leaf and bark oil were methyl eugenol, safrole, linalool, alpha-caryophyllene, elemicin etc. Both the leaf and bark oils were then used for antimicrobial studies against 2 Gram +ve and 2 Gram –ve organisms using agar well diffusion method. Bark oil was found to be more active than leaf oil. Hence it could be concluded that the volatile oil of Cinnamomum riparium, a wild growing species of the genus Cinnamomum, very widely used by the tribals of Kannur District, is a potent antimicrobial drug. The phytochemical studies (GC-MS) give the possible compounds responsible for the results as it is evident in other reported works too. The antioxidant studies give supportive results to confirm the above said activities.

Keywords

Cinnamomum riparium; antibacterial; antioxidant; GC-MS

Cite This Article

Muneera, M., Mathew, M., & Hareeshbabu, E. (2013). Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from Cinnamomum Riparium Gamble and its Antibacterial and Antioxidant Screening. International Journal for Pharmaceutical Research Scholars (IJPRS), 2(4), 115-122.