In vitro antimicrobial properties and chemical composition of Santolina chamaecyparissus essential oil from Algeria.

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of Santolina chamaecyparissus L., growing in Algeria, was investigated by GC-MS analyses. A total of 36 compounds were identified, accounting for 91.7% of the essential oil obtained. Camphor (31.1%) and cubenol (17.0%) were the predominant compounds. The potential of the antimicrobial activity was also investigated and the tested sample proved to be very active against Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida albicans (34.1 +/- 0.02 mm and 35.0 +/- 0.01 mm, respectively). Transverse sections of the leaf and stem of the plant suggest that the essential oil is localized in endogenous and exogenous sites.