www.ejpmr.com │ Vol 7, Issue 11, 2020. │ ISO 9001:2015 Certified Journal │ Ali et al. European Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research 534 ESSENTIAL OIL CONSTITUENTS AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE SEEDS OF ZANTHOXYLUM ARMATUM DC. FROM CHAMOLI, UTTRAKHAND R. Ramchandram 1,2 , Mohammed Ali 1* , Showkat Rasool Mir 1 and Shahnaz Sultana 1,3 1 Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi - 110 062, India. 2 Analytical Development Division, Annora Pharma Private Limited, 261, Annaram Site, Gummadidala Mandal, Distt. Sangareddy, Telangana State – 502313, India. 3 College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Article Received on 10/09/2020 Article Revised on 30/09/2020 Article Accepted on 20/10/2020 INTRODUCTION Zanthoxylum armatum DC., syn. Z. alatum Roxb., Z. arenosum Reeder et S.Y. Cheo, Z. planispinum Siebold et Zucc. (Rutaceae), known as Nepal pepper, tejbal, Nepali dhaniya, timura and winged prickly ash, is an aromatic shrub natïve to North America and north eastern India, distributed from Kashmir to Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines. It is a small thorny tree or shrub, up to 6 m high, with dense foliage, branches having straight prickles; leaves trifoliate, imparipinnate, pungent, aromatic, the leaf-stalk winged, leaflets stalkless, elliptic - ovate, dentate, base oblique; flowers minute, yellow, in leaf axils; fruits 1-3 celled, small, pale red, subglobose; seeds round, shining black. [1] The seeds are regarded as analgesic, anthelmintic, anti- inflammatory, antiseptic, cardio-protective, carminative, deodorant, disinfectant, pesticide, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge; used to treat for abdominal colic, abscesses, arthritis, asthma, blood diseases, bronchitis, bruises, cancer, cholera, diabetes, cough, depression, diarrhea, digestive impairment, dyspepsia, earache, fever, fibrositis, flatulence, gastritis, headache, heart diseases, hiccups, indigestion, microbial infections, piles, roundworms, skin diseases, swellings, throat disorders, toothache, varicose veins and worms. The stem bark is anthelmintic, carminative, fish poison and stomachic, taken to relieve asthma, cholera, cough, difficult breathing, fever, dyspepsia, gum bleeding, rheumatism, sores, throat complaints, toothache, ulcer of the tongue and wounds. The leaves are carminative and fish poison, useful to cure arthritis, cholera, cuts, eczema, indigestion, joint pain, leucoderma, skin diseases, stomachache, vitiation of blood and wounds. A root paste is applied to subside boils. A root decoction is drunk as an anthelmintic. The fruits are regarded as an SJIF Impact Factor 6.222 Research Article ISSN 2394-3211 EJPMR EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL RESEARCH www.ejpmr.com ejpmr, 2020,7(11), 534-541 ABSTRACT Zanthoxylum armatum DC. (Rutaceae) is a thorny shrub or small tree found in south eathern Asia. Its seeds are used to treat arthritis, asthma, blood diseases, bronchitis, bruises, cancer, cholera, diabetes, depression, digestive impairment, dyspepsia, earache, fever, fibrositis, headache, heart diseases, microbial infections, piles, roundworms, skin diseases, swellings, toothache and worms. The present study was carried out to analyse an essential oil from the seeds of Z. armatum and to evaluate its antimicrobial activity. The seeds were hydrodistilled to get the essential oil which was analysed by GC and GC-MS techniques. The oil was evaluated for antimicrobial activity by disc diffusion method. The seed essential oil was characterized by high percentage of linalool (86.93%) followed by limonene (1.74 %), β-caryophyllene (1.53%) and β-phellandrene (1.32%). Oxygenated monoterpenes (91.4%) comprised major profile of chromatogram of the essential oil including eight monoterpenic alcohols (89.66%), two ketones (0.80%) and one oxide (0.94%) whereas seven monoterpenic hydrocarbons occurred up to 4.64%. There were only two sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (1.91%) identified as β-caryophyllene and alloaramadendrene. Three esters, viz., (E)-methyl cinnamate, ethyl 9-hexadecenoate and ethyl palmitate were positively identified. The chloroform, acetone and ethanolic extract and the essential oil of the seeds showed significant antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus when compared with standard antibiotics by using cup and plate method. The essential oil mainly contained a large number of monoterpenes and exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms. KEYWORDS: Zanthoxylum alatum, seeds, essential oil, GC-MS analysis, antimicrobial activity. *Corresponding Author: Mohammed Ali Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi - 110 062, India.