Abstract
Melaleuca cajuputi Powell is a tree species belonging to the family Myrtaceae and is widely used in traditional medicine. This study was conducted to investigate the antibacterial activities of essential oils of M. cajuputi Powell. Antibacterial activity was tested against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria using the agar disc diffusion method. The essential oils of M. cajuputi were found to exert antibacterial activity against all of the tested bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli. The zones of inhibition for S. aureus, S. pyogenes, MRSA, E. coli, and K. pneumoniae were 12.7 mm, 10.7 mm, 10.0 mm, 8.7 mm and 9.3 mm respectively, against 0.714% (w/w) of the essential oils. These results highlighted that Gram negative bacteria are less susceptible to the essential oils of M. cajuputi. A large zone of inhibition might be a sign of a leaching antimicrobial agent. These findings suggest that M. cajuputi is a potential natural antibacterial agent.
Highlights
Essential oils are highly concentrated, unstable substances found in plants
We focused on the antibacterial properties of the essential oils of M. cajuputi against five bacteria
Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was for the tested bacteria, which showed a zone of inhibition and were susceptible to the essential oils of M. cajuputi in the earlier antibacterial assay using the disc diffusion method
Summary
Essential oils are highly concentrated, unstable substances found in plants. They have a distinctive fragrance with a high refractive index owing to ethers, aldehydes, terpenes, esters, ketones, phenols, and alcohols.[1]. M. cajuputi essential oils are isolated from the leaves via simple steam distillation. These essential oils are either colorless or pale yellow in color and release camphor (menthol)-like aroma with a moderately bitter taste. Phytochemical analysis revealed that α-pinene, limonene, αterpinene, and 4-terpineol extracted from M. cajuputi leaves have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anodyne, and insecticidal properties These phytochemical compounds are used as cooking seasonings and aromatic agents in soaps, body care products, cleansers, and fragrances. By utilizing water vapor at atmospheric pressure, the oil are refined from the leaves at a temperature below 100 °C, and the 4-h extraction allows for the isolation and production of essential oil from the crude leaf samples. The microtiter plate was incubated for 24 h at 37 °C
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