chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of leaves of etlingera velutina

Objective: the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oils are important because they offer a natural and effective agent. this study aims to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of leaves of etlingera velutina.methods: the essential oils from the leaves of etlingera velutina were obtained using a clevenger-type apparatus and the chemical compositions of the oils were identified by gc-fid and gc-ms methods. the antioxidant activity of the oil was analyzed using three common assays. the antimicrobial activity of the oil was evaluated by disc diffusion assay.results: the oil consists of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons with the highest percentage (63.12 %). aromadendrene (58.30%), α-pinene (10.82%), and caryophyllenyl alcohol (10.21%) were identified as the main components of the essential oil. the leaf oil exhibited antioxidant activity in all the tests: dpph radical scavenging activity (rsa); β-carotene bleaching (bcb); and ferrous ion chelating ability (fic). the oil presented the activity against b. subtilis, e. aerogenes, p. vulgaris, and candida. parapsilosis. e. aerogenes.conclusion: the data suggest that the essential oil of the leaves of etlingera velutina revealed moderate activity against selected microorganisms in antimicrobial and antioxidant assay.  it may be considered as a natural agent for bioactivty.