African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (20), pp. 2319-2323, 18 October 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. Essential oil from Centrafrican Republic

Louis Clément Obame^{1, 3}, Jean Koudou²*, Brice S. Kumulungui³, Ismael H.N. Bassolé¹, Prosper Edou⁴, Aboubakar S. Ouattara¹ and Alfred S. Traoré¹

¹Centre de Recherche en Sciences Biologiques, Alimentaires et Nutritionnelles, Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Biotechnologie (CRSBAN), Université de Ouagadougou 03 BP7131 Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.

²Centre de Recherche en Pharmacopée et Médecine Traditionnelle (CERPHAMETRA), Université de Bangui, BP 1450 Bangui République Centrafricaine.

³Centre International de Recherches Médicales du Gabon, BP769 Franceville, Gabon

⁴Ecole Normale Supérieure, Laboratoire pluridisciplinaire de chimie, BP7131 Libreville Gabon.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: jean_koudou@yahoo.fr. Fax: +226 50 36 85 73.

Accepted 3 October, 2007

The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was investigated using 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and the β-carotene bleaching test. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was employed as a positive control. The essential oil showed antioxidant and DPPH radical scavenging activities, and it displayed the inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the essential oil of Canarium schweinfurthii from Centrafrican Republic were also evaluated against twelve strains of bacteria and three strains of fungi using agar diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The essential oil showed antimicrobial activity against almost the strains studied. The results suggest that C. schweinfurthii essential oil could be a natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agent.

Key words: Canarium schweinfurthii, Burceraceae, essential oil, antimicrobial, antioxidant.