Abstract
Acinetobacter sp. represent an important cause of nosocomial infections. Their resistance to some antibiotics, their ability to survive on inanimate surfaces in the hospital environment and their ability to produce biofilms contributes to their virulence. The aim of the study was to determine the antibacterial properties of cinnamon, lavender and geranium essential oils against bacteria of the genus Acinetobacter isolated from several clinical materials and from the hospital environment. A comprehensive evaluation of the susceptibility of Acinetobacter sp. clinical strains to recommended antibiotics was performed. The constituents of cinnamon, lavender and geranium essential oils were identified by GC-FID-MS analysis, and their Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) against tested clinical strains were determined by the micro-dilution broth method. In addition, the effects of essential oils on the viability of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) and glioblastoma cell line (T98G) were evaluated. Cinnamon bark oil was the most active against clinical and environmental strains of Acinetobacter baumannii with MIC values ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 µL/mL. The MIC values for geranium oil were between 7.5 and 9.5 µL/mL, and between 10.5 and 13.0 µL/mL for lavender oil. These essential oils can be best employed in the fight against infections caused by bacteria from Acinetobacter genus as components of formulations for hygiene and disinfection of hospital environment.
Highlights
One of the most common causes of difficult to treat infection is the increasingly multidrug resistantGram-negative bacillus Acinetobacter baumannii
Sivamani and Sahul Hameed recommended cinnamon and geranium oils against bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, and Proteus mirabilis isolated from HIV-positive patients [6]
Chemical analysis of the cinnamon essential oil revealed the presence of three main constituents: cinnamaldehyde (76.8%), methoxycinnamaldehyde (11.7%) and cinnamyl acetate (3.2%)
Summary
One of the most common causes of difficult to treat infection is the increasingly multidrug resistantGram-negative bacillus Acinetobacter baumannii. As therapeutic options for multidrug resistant Acinetobacter infections are limited, the development or discovery of new therapies is very important [1,2,3]. Essential oils offer the chance to fight infection, and inhibit the growth of microbial resistance. According to Inouye et al, cinnamon bark oil and its major components exert antibacterial effects on major respiratory pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes [4,5]. Sivamani and Sahul Hameed recommended cinnamon and geranium oils against bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, and Proteus mirabilis isolated from HIV-positive patients [6]. Probuseenivasan et al report that cinnamon and geranium oils inhibitGram-positive and Gram-negative strains such as Escherichia coli
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