Bay leaf can inhibit the growth of bacteria because it contains flavonoids, tannins,
and essential oils. The essential oils obtained from the hydrodestilasi. The purpose
of this study to determine the chemical constituents of essential oil of S.
polyanthum was analyzed by gas kromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC/MS)
and evaluated for its potency as natural preservative in tofu and chiken meat. This
research are an non-experimental and experimental laboratory. The amount of
bacteria were analyzed quantitatively using ANOVA and then Post Hoc Tukey . The
major constituents of essental oil of S. polyanthum were cis-4-decenal (35.43%),
decenal (25.93%), and octanal (22.22%). Essential oil of S. polyanthum at
concentration of 312.5 μg/ml and 1562.6 μg/ml can be used as tofu preservative
and capable of prolonging tofu’s shelf life up to 4 days at room temperature, and
at concentration 62.5 μg/ml and 312.5 μg/ml can be used as chiken meat
prevantive and capable of prolonging meat’s shelf life up to 9 days at 3-7oC.