abstract the chemical analysis of the salvia amplexicaulis lam. herb essential oil was performed using gc-fid and gc/ms. fifty-one compounds (90.2% of the total oil) were identified. the oil was characterized by a high amount of sesquiterpenes (81.1%), with germacrene d (14.8%), viridiflorol (10.6%), caryophyllene oxide (10.5%), and -caryophyllene (9.4%) being the main components. the microbial growth inhibitory properties of the oil was determined against gram-positive bacteria staphylococcus aureus, st. epidermidis, micrococcus luteus gram-negative bacteria pseudomonas aeruginosa, klebsiella pneumoniae, escherichia coli and a yeast candida albicans. the best inhibitory effect was detected against m. luteus followed by the effects against st. epidermidis, st. aureus and c. albicans. tested gram-negative bacteria were more resistant than gram-positive bacteria and c. albicans.