Abstract Carthamus tinctorius is an annual highly branched herb in the family Compositeae. The palnt has been used traditionally as purgative, analgesic and antipyretic. Carthamus tinctorius is also used by traditional healers against rheumatism, bronchitis, menstrual cramps and whooping cough. In this study the oil from Carthamus tinctorius was studied by GC-MS and the antimicrobial activity was evaluated. The GC-MS analysis showed twenty one constituents. Major constituents are: 9,12-octadecadienoic acid methyl ester (55.83%), hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (14.04%),9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (9.32%), methyl stearate (8.82%). In the cup plate agar diffusion assay. The oil showed good antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It also showed partial activity against other test organism except Escherichia coli.
Keywords Carthamus tinctorius, Oil, GC-MS analysis, Antimicrobial Activity.