Composition and antimicrobial activity of the leaf essential oil of Litsea kostermansii from Taiwan.

The hydrodistillated leaf essential oil of Litsea kostermansii was analyzed to determine its composition and yield. Seventy-three compounds were identified, the main components being beta-eudesmol (22.5%), gamma-eudesmol (18.6%), delta-selinene (8.5%), alpha-eudesmol (6.0%), and gamma-muurolene (4.7%). Oxygenated sesquiterpenes (66.2%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (32.8%) were the predominant groups of compounds. The leaf oil exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities.