Abstract The chemical composition of the essential oil of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. leaves was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Fifty-eight compounds accounting for 75.6% of the oil were identified. The major compounds were linalool (14.3%), 9,12-octadecadien-ol (8.4%), 1,8-cineole (7.7%), 2-undecanone (7.3%), farnesol (3.6%), 9,12,15-octadecatrien-1-ol (3.2%) and Î²-caryophyllene (3.0%).