Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oil ofCitrus Maxima(Burm.) Merr. cv. Shatian Yu

The essential oil was isolated using the water steam distillation from the peel of Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr. cv. Shatian Yu with a yield of 0.31% (w/w). The essential oil sample were analyzed by GC-MS and total sixty six components were identified. The major compounds were found to be identical namely D-limonene (86.4%) and nootkatone (2.11%). The essential oil displayed broad spectrum antibacterial activity against a panel of pathogenic bacteria and was most effective against Bacillus licheniformis. Thus, pummelo essential oil could be a potential antimicrobial agent.