Composition of the Essential Oil ofOcimum gratissimumGrown in Rwanda1

Abstract
The essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum, growing wild in Rwanda, was investigated by LSC, GLC, and GC-MS. The oil contained 35% thymol and 11% eugenol, which may indicate the occurrence of a new chemotype of the species. A large amount of hydrocarbons (42%) including 18% p-cymene was also found. The oil showed a relatively strong antimicrobial effect. The oil of O. gratissimum, cultivated in Rwanda from seeds collected in Cameroon, consisted of 47% thymol and only 0.3% eugenol. This sample contained 49% hydrocarbons, including 23% γ-terpinene. Most of the constituents detected in the oil samples were not previously known to be present in the essential oil of O. gratissimum.

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