Abstract

Eucalyptol, a compound well known to possess antimicrobial property, reported to be found as a major constituent of essential oil of plants like Eucalyptus sps, Lippia multiflora and Myrtus communis L. but never before in turmeric. De novo occurrence of eucalyptol as major constituent (37.26%) of essential oil in turmeric somaclones in lieu of alpha-phellandrin in its source plant (57.8%), exhibited unanticipated anti-dermatophytic activity against six human skin infecting isolates tested. The diameter of inhibition zones formed by eucalyptol rich oil against Micrococcus luteus,Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus substilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus andPseudomonas aerogenosa, were found to be 28.66, 33.33, 20.33, 23.66, 24.33 and 7.66 mm, respectively, found totally absent in the mother plants (IZD, 0.0 mm against all isolates). De novo presence of potential anti-microbial eucalyptol, might have been possible due to occurrence of somaclonal variation during tissue culture.

Key words: Eucalyptol, turmeric leaf oil, somaclonal variation, de novo, anti-dermatophytic activity.