Abstract

The chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil from the fruits of Zanthoxylum bungeanum were evaluated. Twenty-eight compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, representing 94.30% of the total oil. The major constituents of the essential oil were found to be limonene (29.36%), linalool (17.02%), β-pinene (14.31%) and linalyl acetate (13.84%). The essential oil showed an obvious antibacterial activity against the tested strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus laterosporus laubach and Escherichia coli) with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) in the ranges of 1.25-5.0 and 2.5-20 mg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, the essential oil showed strongly detrimental effects on the growth and morphological structure of the tested bacteria. So, it is suggested that Zanthoxylum bungeanum could be used as antibacterial agent in food industry.

 Key words: Zanthoxylum bungeanum, essential oil, chemical composition, antibacterial activity, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).