Abstract
The chemical composition and the antifungal activity of essential oils from 15 aromatic medicinal plant species growing in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been studied. More than 15 constituents in an amount ≥ 0.1% were identified in each oil. 1,8-Cineole, α- and β-pinene, P-cymene, α-terpineol, camphene and limonene were prevalent constituents. The antifungal activity of these oils (5 μL per disc) was evaluated by the diffusion method. Results indicate that all oils from fresh plant materials exhibited an antifungal activity at different levels against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Aspergillus niger, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis. A high antifungal activity was found in the leaf oil of E. tereticornis (15–22 mm) followed by the leaf oils of Eucalyptus alba (14–17 mm), E. camaldulensis, E. citriodora, E. globulus, Cymbopogon citratus and Monodora myristica seed oil (11–17 mm) against selected yeasts, fungus and dermatophytes. The leaf oils of E. deglupta, E. robusta, Ocimum gratissimum and Aframomum stipulatum also showed a good activity against selected microorganisms (10–12 mm). The less active oils were those from E. saligna, E. propinqua and O. americanum leaves. No correlation between the amount of some major constituents and the antifungal activity was observed.
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