Antibacterial Activity and Chemical Composition of Ajowan (Carum copticum Benth. & Hook) Essential Oil

Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed to determine the chemical composition of essential oil obtained from dry fruits of Carum copticum. Thymol (36.7%), g-terpinene (36.5%) and r-cymene (21.1%) were found to be the major constituents of the oil. The anti-bacterial activities of the oil were mainly investigated against food poisoning bacteria (Salmonella thyphimorium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Entero-pathogenic Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus) by broth microdilution and agar diffusion methods. The oil exhibited significant antibacterial activities against all the examined bacteria. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that the oil of Ajowan is rich in monoterpenes and it may be used as a natural anti-bacterial agent in drug and food industries