Abstract
This study was initiated to evaluate the chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial activity of essential oils from four Cameroonian spices and to determine the therapeutic effect of a cream based on essential oil from Aframomum citratum. Essential oils were extracted from seeds by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The broth microdilution method was used for the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) determinations. The therapeutic effect of a cosmetic cream based on essential oil from A. citratum seed (1.25, 2.5 and 5% w/w) was evaluated against dermatosis induced with a Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in rats. The main identified compounds in the essential oils are geraniol for A. citratum; eucalyptol, α-terpineol and geraniol for Aframomum daniellii; β-pinene, germacrene D, trans-β-caryophyllene, α-pinene, naphthalene and sabinene for Piper capense; α-phellandrene, germacradienol and δ-cadinene for Monodora myristica. Essential oil of A. citratum (MIC = 8-4096 µg/ml) was the most active against bacteria and fungi, following in decreasing order by those of A. daniellii, P. capense and M. myristica. The antibacterial activity of the essential oil of A. citratum against MRSA and Escherichia coli S2(1) (MIC = 8 µg/ml) was higher than that of amoxicillin used as reference drug (MIC = 128- 256 µg/ml). The combination of essential oils of A. citratum and A. daniellii (1:1) displayed a synergistic effect. The cream based on essential oil of A. citratum (5%) and Baneocin (reference drug) eradicated the dermatosis induced with MRSA in rat after two weeks of treatment. These results indicate that the tested essential oils possess antimicrobial activities which could be a function of either the individual or the additive effects of the identified phytoconstituents. Key words: Spices, hydrodistillation, essential oils, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), antibacterial, antifungal, synergistic effect.
Highlights
The skin can be infected by different types of microorganisms, most often by Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus species
The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. 500 ml of distilled water was separately added to seeds of A. citratum (100 g), A. daniellii (100 g), P. capense (200 g) and M. myristica (200 g)
The essential oils of A. citratum, A. daniellii and M. myristica were translucent with extraction yields of 1.0 ± 0.1%, 1.1 ± 0.1% and 2.4 ± 0.5%, respectively whereas that of P. capense seed was green with the extraction yield of 1.6 ± 0.3%
Summary
The skin can be infected by different types of microorganisms, most often by Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus species. Bacterial skin infections are widespread all over the world and many are caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The treatment of S. aureus infection, Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus. Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are used by 60-80% of developing countries and are the most widespread sources of medicines in the world (Lee et al, 2012). Among all the CAMs, essential oils represent the most popular choices for the treatment of fungal skin infections (Millikan, 2002) and one of their main applications is their use in dermatology (Reichling et al, 2009)
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