Ololade ZS, Olawore NO, Olasoji SO and Anosike SO
This study examined the phytochemicals and medicinal potentials of the leaf essential oil of E. maculata from Nigeria. The essential oil was extracted by hydro-distillation technique and was analysed for various chemical composition using GC-MS. The essential oil was also screened for its antimicrobial activities against multi-drug resistant gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria using the agar well diffusion method. The GC-MS analysis revealed that ß-citronellol (18.5%), ß-pinene (9.4%), 2,6-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene (8.3%), a-pinene (7.1%), 2,6-dimethyl-1,3,5,7- octatetraene (6.7%), and citronellyl acetate (6.0%) were the major compounds in the leaf essential oil. The essential oil exhibited strong antibacterial activities against most of the tested bacteria, with diameters of inhibition zones ranging from 15.0-30.0 mm. The leaf essential oil of E. maculata is a possible alternative antibiotic drug for treatment of disease caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria.