Abstract The essential oils of the aerial parts and flowers of Alpinia nutans Rosc. were analyzed by GC and GC/M S. Oil from aerial parts was rich in monoterpenoids (85.7%) with sabinene (27.8%), 1,8-cineole (17.4%), terpinen-4-ol (14.9%), p-cymene (5.2%), Î³-terpinene (5.1%), cis-sabinene hydrate (1.3%) and linalool (3.3%) as the major components identified, and with Î²-caryophyllene (3.9%) and caryophyllene oxide (1.3%) as sesquiterpenoids. Terpinen-4-ol (25.1%), Î³-terpinene (19.4%), sabinene (14.2%), 1,8-cineole (10.8%), linalool (1.6%) and caryophyllene oxide (1.0%) were the major components characterized in the flower oil. The oils were evaluated for DPPH radical scavenging ability, chelation of Fe+2, and reducing power activities. Further, these oils were also examined for their antimicrobial activities against Pasteurella multocida, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica enterica, Shigella flexneri and Staphylococcus aureus. The aerial parts oil was found to be more active than the flower oil in all the cases.