Abstract The chemical composition of essential oils extracted from Xylopia frutescens Aubl. (Annonaceae) fruit (collected in Pernambuco, Brazil) was examined by TLC and GC/MS. TLC analysis detected compounds from the flavonoid and terpenoid groups. GC/MS detected 23 terpenoid compounds, in which the principal components were germacrene D (24.2%), linalool (12.1%), β-pinene (8.0%), cis-sabinene hydrate (7.9%), trans-pinocarveol (7.8%), α-copaene (7.0%) and limonene (5.6%). Other constituents found were sabinene, m-cymene, 1,8-cineole, β-ocimene, perillene, cis-sabinol, α-campholenal, isopinocamphone, terpinen-4-ol, verbenone, trans-carveol, carvone, perillyl alcohol, α-cubebene, β-cadinene and elemol. Most of these compounds have not been detected in fruit extracts of X frutescens before; therefore this study represents the most comprehensive analysis to date of the chemical components in the fruits of this plant.