Essential oil constituents of Illicium griffithii and its antimicrobial activity.

The essential oil of the fruit of Illicium griffithii Hook f. et Thoms. was extracted using Clevenger's apparatus. Forty-one compounds were characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). 4-Methyl-6-(2-propenyl)-1,3-benzodioxole was characterized as the major constituent, followed by linalool amongst the volatile constituents. The essential oil was found to be effective against Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae and possessed considerable activity against Staphylococcus aureus and was inactive against Klebsiella pnemoniae, Pseudomonas aureginosae, Proteus vulgaris and Escherichia coli.