Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh is one of the hardwood species indigenous to Taiwan that possesses significant antifungal activity. To examine the antifungal activity of leaf essential oils and dominant constituents from C osmophloeum, the essential oils of leaves from three clones (A, B, and C) collected from Haw-Lin experimental forest were extracted and their components analyzed by gas chromatography. Results from the antifungal tests demonstrated that the essential oils of both B and C leaves had strong inhibitory effects. The antifungal indices of these two leaf oils at 100ppm against five strains of white rot fungi and four strains of brown rot fungi were all 100%. Cinnamaldehyde, the major compound in C osmophloeum leaf essential oils, possessed the strongest antifungal activities compared with the other components. Its antifungal indices against both Coriolus versicolor. and Laetiporus sulphureus were 100%. The MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of cinnamaldehyde against C versicolor and L. sulphureus was 50 and 75ppm, respectively. In addition, comparisons of the antifungal indices of cinnamaldehyde's congeners proved that cinnamaldehyde exhibited the strongest antifungal activities. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.