Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Agents—Myth or Real Alternative?

Herbs and the essential oils derived from them have been used from the beginning of human history for different purposes. Their beneficial properties have been applied to mask unpleasant odors, attract the attention of other people, add flavor and aroma properties to prepared dishes, perfumes, and cosmetics, etc. Herbs and essential oils (EOs) have also been used in medicine because of their biological properties, such as larvicidal action, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidant, fungicide, and antitumor activities, and many more. Many EOs exhibit antimicrobial properties, which is extremely important in fields of science and industry, such as medicine, agriculture, or cosmetology. Among the 250 EOs which are commercially available, about a dozen possess high antimicrobial potential. According to available papers and patents, EOs seem to be a potential alternative to synthetic compounds, especially because of the resistance that has been increasingly developed by pathogenic microorganisms. In this review we summarize the latest research studies about the most-active EOs that are known and used because of their antimicrobial properties. Finally, it is noteworthy that the antimicrobial activities of EOs are not preeminent for all strains. Further investigations should, thus, focus on targeting EOs and microorganisms.

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Antimicrobial Ionic Liquids with Fumarate Anion

Journal of Chemistry ◽

10.1155/2013/473153 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Biyan He ◽

Guangnan Ou ◽

Changyi Zhou ◽

Meihong Wang ◽

Suyan Chen

Keyword(s):

Ionic Liquids ◽

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Research Field ◽

Potassium Sorbate ◽

Gravimetric Analysis ◽

Antimicrobial Drugs ◽

Active Research

The shortage of new antimicrobial drugs and increasing resistance of microbe to antimicrobial agents have been of some concern. The formulation studies of new antibacterial and antifungal agents have been an active research field. Ionic liquids are known as designed liquids with controllable physical/chemical/biological properties and specific functions, which have been attracting considerable interest over recent years. However, no attention has been made towards the preparation of ionic liquids with antimicrobial activities. In this paper, a new class of ionic liquids (ILs) with fumarate anion was synthesized by neutralization of aqueous 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydroxide with equimolar monoester fumarate and characterized using NMR and thermal gravimetric analysis. The ILs are soluble in water and polar organic solvents and also soluble in the common ILs. The antimicrobial activities of the ILs are more active than commercially available potassium sorbate and are greatly affected by the alkyl chain length. The significant antimicrobial properties observed in this research suggest that the ILs may have potential applications in the modern biotechnology.

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Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of the Essential Oil and its Fractions of Lavandula stoechas L. From Morocco

International Journal of Current Pharmaceutical Review and Research ◽

10.25258/ijcprr.v8i01.9092 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (01) ◽

Author(s):

Ez Zoubi Yassine ◽

El Ouali Lalami Abdelhakim ◽

Bousta Dalila ◽

Polissiou Moschos ◽

Daferera Dimitra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Essential Oil ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Antioxidant Properties ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Multi Drug Resistance ◽

Lavandula Stoechas ◽

Natural Foods

The emerging multi-drug resistance in food borne pathogens and consumers demand for minimally processed fresh natural foods has paved the path for natural antimicrobials and antioxidants to be used in food industry. This work investigates the chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of essential oils of Lavandula stoechas and its fractions which were obtained from the Lavandula stoechas using apparatus Glass Oven B-585. GC/MS analysis of Lavandula stoechas essential oil has led to the identification of 27 components, of which camphor, fenchone, camphene, borneol, α- Pinene and 1,8-cineole, were the major components. Fractions 1 and 2 have displayed qualitative similarities; fraction 3 has showed a different chemical profile characterized by the presence of various oxygenated sesquiterpenes. In DPPH assay, the IC50 value of Lavandula stoechas and its fractions have varied between 0.8 and 1.6 µg/ml, while phosphomolybdenum assay of essential oils of Lavandula steochas, fraction 1, 2 and 3 have showed values in the order of 79 ± 4.4, 73.7 ± 3.7, 76.2 ± 5.5 and 148.2 ± 6.2 μg/ml respectively. The essential oil of Lavandula steochas was very active against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria spp. Fractions 1 and 2 were moderately active, however fraction 3 recorded a weak effect against all bacteria’s. The Chloromphenicol antibiotic was very active against all bacteria’s, Gentamycin has expressed average activity against pathogens but the Penicillin has showed poor activity. Our results suggest that essential oils of Lavandula stoechas and fraction 3 demonstrated interesting biological properties that suggest its use as a new potential source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.

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Biological Properties of Essential Oils from Thymus algeriensis Boiss

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10040786 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 786

Author(s):

Hamza Ouakouak ◽

Adel Benarfa ◽

Mohammed Messaoudi ◽

Samir Begaa ◽

Barbara Sawicka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Essential Oils ◽

Micrococcus Luteus ◽

Radical Scavenging Activity ◽

Radical Scavenging ◽

Cancer Cell Line ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Chemical Components ◽

Bornyl Acetate ◽

Thymus Algeriensis

This study describes the chemical composition, antitumor, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of the plant Thymus algeriensis Boiss. Essential oils (EOs) were collected in different periods (before, during, and after flowering stage) from the El-Guetfa region, M’sila, Algeria. The EOs extraction was achieved using three distinguishing techniques: hydro (Clevenger trap), steam, and microwave distillations, targeting different aerial parts of the plant (stems, flowers, and leaves). The EOs chemical components were estimated using GC-FID and GC-MS apparatuses. The resulting yield of the extracted oil was moderate and ranged between 0.84 and 1.53% (wt/vol). In total, eighty-five components were identified, in which the oxygenated monoterpenes family formed the main portion, starting from 40.56 up to 70.66%. The obtained essential oil was dominated by five major components that varied from low to quite moderate percentages: camphor (17.45–32.56%), borneol (11.16–22.2%), camphene (7.53–12.86%), 1.8-cineole (5.16–11.21%), and bornyl acetate (3.86–7.92%). The biological results of this oil pointed out that the EOs extracted from the leaves part exposed a weak radical scavenging activity afterward using two well-known antioxidant assays DPPH (IC50 = 8.37 mg/mL) and ABTS (10.84 mg/mL). Meanwhile, this oil presented strong inhibition activity against colon cancer cell line HCT116 (LC50 = 39.8 µg/mL) and a moderate inhibitory against hepatocellular cancer cells HePG2 (LC50 > 100 µg/mL). In addition, this oil antimicrobial activity was quite important against Micrococcus luteus (M. luteus), Staphylococcus aureus CIP 7625, Escherichia coli ATCC 10536, Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 4226, Candida albicans IPA200, Candida tropicalis (Ct), and Candida glabrata (Cg) after using Amoxicillin and Itraconazole as references.

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Antimicrobial Activities in Pistacia atlantica—Aphids Make a Difference!

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2020066009 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (1) ◽

pp. 9

Author(s):

Yoram Gerchman

Keyword(s):

Secondary Metabolites ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Organic Solvents ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Disk Diffusion ◽

Pistacia Atlantica ◽

Disk Diffusion Assay ◽

Bacteria And Fungi ◽

Diffusion Assay

Plants have been explored and used as sources for antimicrobial extract and compounds for many years, but galls—specialized structures forms on such by diversity of organisms—have been explored much less. Aphid galls host many insects in closed, humid and sugar rich environments for long periods. We have tested the antimicrobial properties of Slavum wertheimae aphid galls on Pistacia atlantica. Secondary metabolites were extracted from leaves and galls with organic solvents, and essential oils with Clevenger, and tested by disk diffusion assay and volatile effect on bacteria and fungi, respectively. The results demonstrated that gall extracts/essential oils had much stronger activity against the diversity of bacteria and fungi. The large diversity of galls suggest they could be explored as source for novel compounds.

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Chemical composition, antimicrobial activity and biological properties of essential oils

International Journal of Life Sciences ◽

10.3126/ijls.v9i2.12043 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 9-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Amir Hossein Saeidnejad ◽

Peyman Rajaei

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Essential Oil ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Antioxidant Agents ◽

Ancient Times ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Oil Repellent

Essential oils constitute a heterogeneous collection of chemical compounds. Their main characteristics are that they all synthesized by plants and are volatile and mostly soluble in ethanol. They have traditionally been obtained from plants and they have been widely used for insecticidal, medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Essential oils contains about 20–60 components at quite different concentrations and they are characterized by two or three major components at fairly high concentrations. Lately, the essential oils and various extracts of plants have gained special interest as sources of natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents because of the resistance to antibiotics that some microorganisms have acquired and the possible toxicities of the synthetic antioxidants. Spices consumed daily in different types of food to improve flavors, since ancient times, are well known for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. During recent decades, numerous numbers of plants have been monitored for their possible role as repellents and insecticides. In this review, the chemical composition profile of some important medicinal plants was evaluated, then antimicrobial properties of a number of essential oils was compared. Antioxidant activity of some essential oils was also considered. Finally, essential oil repellent properties an an important characteristics was evaluated. Further investigation for available data related to the other biological properties of medicinal plants essential oil is recommended.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijls.v9i2.12043 International Journal of Life Sciences 9 (2) : 2015; 9-13

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Antimicrobial activities of laboratory produced essential oil solutions against five selected fungal strains

Zbornik Matice srpske za prirodne nauke ◽

10.2298/zmspn1324171i ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 171-183 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Emilija Ivanova ◽

Natalija Atanasova-Pancevska ◽

Dzoko Kungulovski

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Activity ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Microtiter Plate ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Food Preservation ◽

Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations ◽

Fungal Strains ◽

Treat Ment ◽

Penicillium Spp

It is well known that essential oils possess significant antimicrobial activity. This study was conducted to estimate the antimicrobial activity of various types of Biokill, a laboratory produced solution composed of several essential oils (Biokill dissolved in 96% ethanol; Biokill 96% further dissolved in DMSO; Biokill dissolved in 70% ethanol and Biokill 70% further dissolved in DMSO). The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against five selected fungal strains, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 9763, Aspergillus niger I.N. 1110, Aspergillus sojae CCF and Penicillium spp. FNS FCC 266. A variation of the microtiter plate-based antimicrobial assay was used in order to assess the antimicrobial activity of the solutions. By applying this assay minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the Biokill solutions were determined for each strain of the selected test microorganisms. The results demonstrated that all variations of Biokill showed antimicrobial activity at concentrations lower than 2.5?g/mL. Biokill 70% further dissolved in DMSO showed the best antimicrobial properties against all the selected strains with MICs less than 1.25?g/mL. These results indicated that Biokill could find application in the pharmaceutical industry, in food preservation and conservation, in the prevention and treat?ment of plants infected by certain phytopathogens, etc.

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Antimicrobial Polymers: The Potential Replacement of Existing Antibiotics?

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20112747 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (11) ◽

pp. 2747 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Nor Fadhilah Kamaruzzaman ◽

Li Peng Tan ◽

Ruhil Hayati Hamdan ◽

Siew Shean Choong ◽

Weng Kin Wong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Direct Application ◽

Antimicrobial Compounds ◽

Antimicrobial Polymers ◽

Synthetic Compounds ◽

Global Challenge ◽

Polymeric Carriers ◽

Natural Peptides

Antimicrobial resistance is now considered a major global challenge; compromising medical advancements and our ability to treat infectious disease. Increased antimicrobial resistance has resulted in increased morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases worldwide. The lack of discovery of novel compounds from natural products or new classes of antimicrobials, encouraged us to recycle discontinued antimicrobials that were previously removed from routine use due to their toxicity, e.g., colistin. Since the discovery of new classes of compounds is extremely expensive and has very little success, one strategy to overcome this issue could be the application of synthetic compounds that possess antimicrobial activities. Polymers with innate antimicrobial properties or that have the ability to be conjugated with other antimicrobial compounds create the possibility for replacement of antimicrobials either for the direct application as medicine or implanted on medical devices to control infection. Here, we provide the latest update on research related to antimicrobial polymers in the context of ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) pathogens. We summarise polymer subgroups: compounds containing natural peptides, halogens, phosphor and sulfo derivatives and phenol and benzoic derivatives, organometalic polymers, metal nanoparticles incorporated into polymeric carriers, dendrimers and polymer-based guanidine. We intend to enhance understanding in the field and promote further work on the development of polymer based antimicrobial compounds.

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Facile Synthesis of Antimicrobial Aloe Vera-“Smart” Triiodide-PVP Biomaterials

Biomimetics ◽

10.3390/biomimetics5030045 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 45 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zehra Edis ◽

Samir Haj Bloukh

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Microstructural Analysis ◽

Aloe Vera ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Surgical Site Infections ◽

Halogen Bonding ◽

Polyglycolic Acid ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

One Pot

Antibiotic resistance is an eminent threat for the survival of mankind. Nosocomial infections caused by multidrug resistant microorganisms are a reason for morbidity and mortality worldwide. Plant-based antimicrobial agents are based on synergistic mechanisms which prevent resistance and have been used for centuries against ailments. We suggest the use of cost-effective, eco-friendly Aloe Vera Barbadensis Miller (AV)-iodine biomaterials as a new generation of antimicrobial agents. In a facile, one-pot synthesis, we encapsulated fresh AV gel with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizing agent and incorporated iodine moieties in the form of iodine (I2) and sodium iodide (NaI) into the polymer matrix. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), microstructural analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) verified the composition of AV-PVP-I2, AV-PVP-I2-NaI. AV, AV-PVP, AV-PVP-I2, AV-PVP-I2-NaI, and AV-PVP-NaI were tested in-vitro by disc diffusion assay and dip-coated on polyglycolic acid (PGA) sutures against ten microbial reference strains. All the tested pathogens were more susceptible towards AV-PVP-I2 due to the inclusion of “smart” triiodides with halogen bonding in vitro and on dip-coated sutures. The biocomplexes AV-PVP-I2, AV-PVP-I2-NaI showed remarkable antimicrobial properties. “Smart” biohybrids with triiodide inclusions have excellent antifungal and promising antimicrobial activities, with potential use against surgical site infections (SSI) and as disinfecting agents.

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Chemical Compositions and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oils of Piper abbreviatum, P. erecticaule and P. lanatum (Piperaceae)

Natural Product Communications ◽

10.1177/1934578x1400901235 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 1934578X1400901 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wan Mohd Nuzul Hakimi Wan Salleh ◽

Farediah Ahmad ◽

Khong Heng Yen

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Activity ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Dilution Method ◽

Chemical Compositions ◽

Gram Positive Bacteria ◽

Aerial Parts ◽

Ms Analysis ◽

Weak Activity

The study was designed to examine the chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of essential oils extracted from the aerial parts of three Piper species: Piper abbreviatum, P. erecticaule and P. lanatum, all from Malaysia. GC and GC/MS analysis showed qualitative and quantitative differences between these oils. GC and GC-MS analysis of P. abbreviatum, P. erecticaule and P. lanatum oils resulted in the identification of 33, 35 and 39 components, representing 70.5%, 63.4% and 78.2% of the components, respectively. The major components of P. abbreviatum oil were spathulenol (11.2%), ( E)-nerolidol (8.5%) and β-caryophyllene (7.8%), whereas P. erecticaule oil mainly contained β-caryophyllene (5.7%) and spathulenol (5.1%). Borneol (7.5%), β-caryophyllene (6.6%) and α-amorphene (5.6%) were the most abundant components in P. lanatum oil. Antimicrobial activity was carried out using disc diffusion and broth micro-dilution method against nine microorganisms. All of the essential oils displayed weak activity towards Gram-positive bacteria with MIC values in the range 250–500 μg/mL. P. erecticaule oil showed the best activity on Aspergillus niger (MIC 31.3 μg/mL), followed by P. lanatum oil (MIC 62.5 μg/mL). This study demonstrated that the essential oils have potential as antimicrobial agents and may be useful in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

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Phytochemical Screening, Antimicrobial Activities and Nutritional content of Jatropha Tanjorensis Leaves

NIGERIAN ANNALS OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES ◽

10.46912/napas.114 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 108-113

Author(s):

B A Anhwange ◽

I G Agbidye ◽

B A Kyenge ◽

P O Ngbede

Keyword(s):

Proximate Composition ◽

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Reducing Sugars ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Phytochemical Screening ◽

Bioactive Components ◽

Standard Procedures ◽

Hexane Extracts

The leaves of Jatropha tanjarensis were collected and assessed for their phytochemical compositions and antimicrobial activities using methanolic and hexane extracts as to determine the bioactive components and their effects on microorganisms. Also, the nutritional potential was investigated through the determination of proximate composition using standard procedures. The result of phytochemical screening indicated the presence of saponins, cardiac glycosides, reducing sugars, steroids, alkaloids and flavonoids in methanolic extract, the same observation was recorded in n-hexane extract except that reducing sugars were absent and phlobotannins were present. The antimicrobial activities of the leaves extract show that it have some antimicrobial properties. Results of the proximate composition and mineral analysis revealed that the plant is a good source of fiber and minerals. Therefore, leaves of Jatropha tanjarensisapart from being used as antimicrobial agents, can serve as good sources of fiber and minerals when used as vegetables.

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