Pycnanthus angolensis (Welw.) Warb. (Family; Myristiceae) leaves were extracted cold with 50 % ethanol and the obtained aqueous crude extract partitioned with ethyl acetate. Furthermore, the ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to silica gel column chromatography and the isolated chemical compounds tested for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. The identities of two isolates have been revealed to be 3-ethoxy-3,7-dimethyl-1, 6-octadiene (ethyl linalool) and diethyl phthalate (1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid diethyl ester) using the MS and IR spectral techniques. Both compounds showed strong bacteriostatic action against E. coli but were inactive against S. aureus and C. albicans.
Key words: Pycnanthus angolensis; fraction; chromatography; isolates; antimicrobial effect
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