The essential oils of the air dried leaves and flowers of Lippia chevalieri Moldenke and Ocimum canum Sims from Burkina Faso were analysed by GC-MS. Essential oil of the leaves of L. chevalieri is composed mainly of thymol (27.4%), p-cymene (21.1%), and 2-phenyl-ethyl-propionate (12.6%), while the oils from flower is composed of ββββ-elemene (33%), ethyl cinnamate (30.3%) and αααα-amorphene (12.4%). O. canum leaves and flowers oils consisted mainly in 1,8-cineole (60.1%) and cis, trans- piperitol (68.5%), respectively. The antimicrobial activities of the essential oils were evaluated against 9 bacteria by agar diffusion method. The leaves of both plants showed higher activity than their flowers. The leaves of L. chevalieri were active against Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria whereas only Gram positive bacteria were sensitive to the essential oil of the O. canum leaves. Flower essential oils did not show any significant activity.

Lippia chevalieri, Ocimum canum, essential oils, chemical composition