Extraction and identification of terpenes from Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) oil and comparing antibacterial property with the commercially available oil sample

Abstract

Traditional herbal medicine is gaining demand as an alternative to chemical antibiotics as their side effects and drawbacks of comes into light. Myristica fragrans plant paves its way to become a boon to the medicinal community with its antibacterial and therapeutic applications. The phytochemicals present in nutmeg oil play a vital role in inhibiting the growth of undesirable bacterial strains. This study enable the concept of using phytochemicals to fight against pathogenic strains to progress by leaps and bounds. Furthermore, the study of the components present in nutmeg oil gives an idea as to which phytochemical, i.e. terpenoids is responsible for the antibacterial property of nutmeg oil by performing GC-MS for the oil. Therefore the study of the phytochemicals present in nutmeg and their effectiveness due to the presence of terpenoids, i.e. the requisite component responsible for the antibacterial activity of the oil can aid mankind in its approach towards effective and organic medicine. However, further studies need to be done for the identification of effective dosages for the production of antibiotic drugs.