Abstract
Essential oils have been used since ancient times and are known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-depressive, antiseptic, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. in this study the antimicrobial activity of two essential oils from Melaleuca alternifolia and Thymus vulgaris-red thyme geraniol was tested against 16 multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa strains from infected hip implants as well as the "in vitro" cytotoxic activity on normal human Wong-Kilbourne derivative (WKD) cells. Thymus vulgaris-red thyme geraniol showed lower antimicrobial activity when compared to Melaleuca alternifolia. All tested oils were cytotoxic at concentrations lower than 0.12%. Increase in drug resistance and lack of new antibiotics may encourage the development of natural treatments together with higher concern on environmental issues and natural lifestyle.
Highlights
Essential oils have been used since ancient times and are known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-depressive, antiseptic, antifungal and antimicrobial properties
The present study focused on antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs), following previous investigations performed by the same research group on P. aeruginosa isolates collected from patients with infected hip replacement hospitalized at the Orthopedic Clinic of Sassari University [8,9,10]
EOs derived from Melaleuca alternifolia and Thymus vulgaris –red thyme geraniol showed cytotoxicity exceeding 50% at concentrations lower than 0.12%
Summary
Essential oils have been used since ancient times and are known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-depressive, antiseptic, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. The therapeutic potential of essential oils (EOs) has not been fully estimated yet, leaving several features regarding pharmacological aspects to be discovered, even though numerous medicinal herbs have been used since ancient times. Traditional medicine and aromatherapy have relied on of EOs properties and aromatic molecules are currently still appreciated as therapeutic agents. These natural compounds exert significant biological and pharmacological effects, mainly due to their lipophilic nature. Despite the differences in EOs chemical composition, they share some general properties, such as antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities [1]
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