10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12 Volume 8 Issue 4 2017 (October - December) The essential oil of flower buds (clove) of lessThan i greaterThan Syzygium aromaticum lessThan /i greaterThan was obtained by soxhlet extraction with water, petroleum ether and ethyl acetate. The extracts were tested for the antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria such as lessThan i greaterThan Escherichia lessThan /i greaterThan lessThan i greaterThan coli lessThan /i greaterThan (MTCC433), lessThan i greaterThan Salmonella typhimurium lessThan /i greaterThan (MTCC98), lessThan i greaterThan Staphylococcus aureus lessThan /i greaterThan (MTCC96), and lessThan i greaterThan Listeria monocytogenes lessThan /i greaterThan (MTCC1143). Clove extracts showed antibacterial activity against all tested bacteria with zone inhibition ranged from 10mm-30mm. Antibacterial activity of clove is attributed to high eugenol, caryophyllene and farnesol content. Many components were identified by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, major constituents were eugenol, vanillin, humulene, ledol, adamantane derivative, caryophyllene, farnesol, alizarin and these compounds could be used as therapeutic, medicinal and preservative agents.It is concluded that this plant material can be indispensable source for secondary metabolites BHARATH M R , M.A.AZEEM , KEERTHAN H V Antimicrobial activity, cloves, essential oils, GC-MS, soxhlet extraction, zone of inhibition 321-329