Abstract
Objective: This study assessed the effects of alpha-mangostin (AM) and citronella oil (CO) working alone or in combination against Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
 Methods: The screening for antibacterial activity of AM and CO against P. acnes and S. aureus was carried out using the disk diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of these two substances were determined using the broth microdilution method. The fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICI) of a combination of AM and CO were obtained by checkerboard dilution assay.
 Results: The results showed that alpha-mangostin and citronella oil do indeed fight against P. acnes and S. aureus. The MICs and MBCs of AM against P. acnes and S. aureus were the same at 6.25 and 50 µg/ml, respectively. Both the MIC and the MBC of CO against P. acnes were 27.81µg/ml. The MIC and the MBC of CO against S. aureus were 112.13 and 224.25 µg/ml, respectively. The FICI of a combination of AM and CO against P. acnes and S. aureus were 2.00, indicating indifferent interaction with no additional inhibitory effect.
 Conclusion: AM and CO are very effective against P. acnes and S. aureus, nevertheless their effect when used together was indifferent from using alone. Further research may find that either or both of these substances combined with yet a different natural agent could provide synergy againstP. acnes and S. aureus.
Highlights
This study quantitatively analyzed alpha-mangostin (AM), from mangosteens, and citronella oil (CO), from citronella grass, to investigate possible synergistic effects of AM combined with CO against the bacteria that cause acne
The current study investigated and combined two such natural substances, AM and CO, with the hypothesis that this mixture might produce a synergistic effect that enhances their activity, while at the same time causing fewer adverse side effects than conventional treatments
The geraniol content of the CO used in this study was determined by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC-FID) analysis
Summary
Acne vulgaris is a very common chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous follicles of the skin which is caused by hyperactive sebaceous glands, hyperkeratosis in the hair infundibulum, P. acnes colonization or other bacterial infections. This disease is characterized by both inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions [1,2,3]. Quality of life is often reduced for patients who suffer from acne vulgaris [4]. Thiboutot et al (2009) reported that acne vulgaris can so disruptive as to sometimes even lead to serious psychiatric issues [5]
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