Volume 6, Issue 2, June 2016, Pages 88–95
Research paper
- a Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius
- b Centre International de Développement Pharmaceutique, Research & Innovation, BioPark Mauritius, Socota Phoenicia, Sayed Hossen Road, Phoenix, Mauritius
- Received 7 September 2015, Revised 21 October 2015, Accepted 24 February 2016, Available online 27 February 2016
Highlights
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- Essential oils (EOs) from 10 tropical medicinal plants were extracted by hydrodistillation.
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- Eighteen microorganisms were used to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of the EOs as well as their ability to potentiate conventional antibiotics.
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- EOs showed potent bactericidal, fungicidal and antibiotic potentiating activity.
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- Twenty eight major compounds were identified using GC–MS composed of monoterpenes hydrocarbons.
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- Studied EOs may be exploited as complementary and alternative therapies against infectious diseases.
Abstract
Infectious
diseases and antibiotic resistance have become a public health issue of
increasing magnitude. The discovery and development of new
antimicrobial agents from herbal medicine to address this problem has
attracted much attention and should be given high priority. This study
was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of essential oils
(EOs) extracted from 10 common medicinal plants of Mauritius. Eighteen
microorganisms (bacterial and fungal isolates) were used to evaluate the
antimicrobial potential of the EOs as well as their ability to
potentiate conventional antibiotics. The phytochemical profile was
established using Gas chromatography–Mass spectrometry method.
Antibacterial activities were recorded with low minimal inhibitory
concentration for 4 of the EOs using the microbroth dilution assay. A
synergistic effect of the EO of Citrus hystrix D.C., Citrus reticulate (Blanco) and Melaleuca quinquenervia S.T. Blake (Cav.) were observed against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Staphylococcus epidermidis
(ATCC 12228) when combined with gentamicin. Fungicidal and fungistatic
effects of the EOs were observed among all the fungi irrespective of the
family except for Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Twenty eight
major compounds were identified and predominantly composed of
monoterpene hydrocarbons at a dose-content ranging from 0.68 to 88.58%.
This study has provided key information on the antimicrobial property
and phytochemical composition of some tropical medicinal plants. Hence,
EOs studied in the present investigation may be considered as potential
medicinal candidates that could be exploited as complementary and
alternative therapies for the treatment and management of infectious
diseases.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Essential oil;
- Antimicrobial;
- Medicinal plants;
- Antibiotic potentiating;
- Mauritius
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