EFFECT OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM Feroniella lucida (SCHEFF.) SWINGLE FRUIT ON Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium commonly found on human skin and mucus membrane linked to the severity of the chronic inflammatory skin disease, and a contaminant in food. This study presented the effect of essential oil extracted from Feroniella lucida (Scheff.) Swingle fruit for its antibacterial activity against two strains of Staphylococcus aureus, ATCC 29213 and TISTR 517; and its chemical composition. The hydro-distillated essential oil yield from the peel was approximately 0.72% (v/w, fresh weight), compared to the average yield of 0.10% (v/w) from the plant leaves. The major components of the peel oil were decyl acetate (56.20% of the total GC-MC peak area), decanal (22.49%), and dodecyl acetate (6.81%). The oil could inhibit both strains, but the ATCC 29213 was more sensitive than TISTR 517 with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 0.125 and 2.0, and 0.5 and 16.0 mg/mL, respectively. For the mode of action performed for the strain ATCC 29213, the essential oil had a significant effect to inhibit the bacterium growth within 2 h, and caused protein, potassium ion, and adenosine triphosphates (ATP) leakages, but it had no effect on the leakage of nucleic acids. Under scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation of the essential oil effect on the bacterial cell morphology, the crease and furrow of ATCC 29213 cells were detected. These results encourage further application of the oil from the edible fruit as anti-Staphylococcus aureus to develop skin care products as well as to be used in food industry.