Abstract:
Essential oils (EOs) are complex natural
mixtures that can be extracted from plant raw
materials such as flowers, leaves, stems,
roots, fruits, and fruit peels. Essential oils are
being studied for many decades, but a growing
interest has emerged in the recent decades due
to a desire for a rediscovery of natural remedies
[1]. EOs are highly interesting for
pharmaceutical uses and many activities such as
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial,
wound-healing and anxiolytic activities have
been discovered by many researchers. The oils
extracted from different parts exhibit different
biological and medicinal properties even
though they have been extracted from the
same plant [2].
EOs from spices and herbs are used in
traditional medicine in many Asian countries
since ancient times. The nutmeg tree gives two
spices like nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg and mace
have been used traditionally for thousands of
years by many cultures as flavoring agents.
Nutmeg volatile oils exhibit antibacterial
activity against different types of animal and
plant pathogens, food poisoning, and spoilage
bacteria [3]. EOs extracted from nutmeg and
mace have been tested for different
bioactivities by many researchers, but of the
leaves of nutmeg very rarely. However, leaves
of some spice trees are also used for cooking and
medicinal purposes in their fresh or dried form
[4]. For example, both fresh and dried leaves of
cinnamon are used for culinary purposes.
Further, some spice leaves are used as
homemade remedies for diarrhea, fever, cough,
etc. in traditional medicine in Asian countries.
Many researchers have recommended different
parts of trees of spices including leaves for the
development of functional foods, nutraceuticals
and drug recovery as herbal drugs have fewer
side effects or toxicity compared to the
synthetic drugs [5]. Many studies have been
conducted to discover antimicrobial activities
of the spice nutmeg and mace, but the leaves
have been tested very rarely. Therefore, in
In this study, leaves of nutmeg were tested to
discover it's antibacterial and antifungal
activities.
