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Abstract:
The essential oil from the leaves of Myrtus communis var. italica (Myrtaceae family) was extracted (yield 0.63 %) using hydro-distillation method and analyzed for its chemical composition by capillary GC-MS. The oil showed the presence of eighteen compounds representing 94.48 % area of total chromatogram. The oil was dominated by monoterpenoids derivatives; hydrocarbons α-pinene (35.60 %) and oxygenated 1,8-cineole (29.60 %) as major constituents. The oil exhibited pronounced antimicrobial activity determined using disc diffusion method. The inhibitory activity of the oil was observed against all tested microorganisms Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli and Aeromonas hydrophila with strongest inhibition zones (between 18 to 20 mm). Our findings indicate that the essential oil isolated from M. communis leaves could be used as an antimicrobial agent in food, pharmaceutical and pesticide industries.