Abstract Lycopersicum esculentum is worldwide cultivated for its nutritional value. Fruits of Lycopersicum esculentum is rich in lycopene which is a carotenoid with beneficial health effects. This plant is rich in vitamins and contains many minerals including iron, calcium and phosphorus. Fruit juice is used traditionally against wound bleading, scorpion bite and edema. In this study Lycopersicum esculentum seed oil was analyzed by GC-MS. The analysis revealed the presence of 27 components. The fatty acids constituted 94.48% of the oil; acid chloride (3.00%); aldehydes (1.63%); hetreocycles (0.44%); ketones (0.20) and phenols (0.19%). The following major constituents have been detected by GC-MS analysis: 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (35.16%); 9,12-octadecadienoic acid methyl ester (19.79%) and 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (10.84%). The studied oil was screened for antimicrobial activity against five standard microbial strains. The oil showed significant activity against Bacillus subtilis. It also exhibited moderate activity against Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and the yeast Candida albicans.
Keywords Lycopersicum esculentum, Oil, GC-MS analysis, Antimicrobial Activity.