Abstract The essential oil of the aerial parts of Malabaila aurea from Greece was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Forty eight compounds representing 90.9% of the total oil were identified. The major constituents were octyl isobutyrate (40%), octanol (8.9%) and spathulenol (12.4%). In an antibacterial diffusion assay, the oil showed a good activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans