Antibacterial and modifying-antibiotic activities of the essential oils of Ocimum gratissimum L. and Plectranthus amboinicus L

• Published in: European journal of integrative medicine Vol. 7; no. 2; pp. 151 - 156
• Main Authors: Aguiar, José J.S., Sousa, Cicera P.B., Araruna, Mariana K.A., Silva, Maria K.N., Portelo, Aline C., Lopes, Jeferson C., Carvalho, Victória R.A., Figueredo, Fernando G., Bitu, Vanessa C.N., Coutinho, Henrique D.M., Miranda, Thiago Adolfo Sobreira, Matias, Edinardo F.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier GmbH 01.04.2015
• Subjects: Antibacterial; Antibiotic-modifying activity; Essential oils; Ocimum gratissimum; Plectranthus amboinicus; Plectranthus amboinicus; Antibacterial; Essential oils; Ocimum gratissimum; Antibiotic-modifying activity
• ISSN: 1876-3820; 1876-3839
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eujim.2014.10.005

Developing resistance to antimicrobial agents is increasingly observed for many microorganisms is increasingly becoming a problem worldwide. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the antibacterial and antibiotic-modifying activity of essential oils of Ocimum gratissimum and Plectranthus amboinicus (Lamiaceae), alone and combined. Standard and multiresistant bacterial strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were utilized, and antibiotics of the aminoglycoside class were tested, using the microdilution technique. The antibacterial effect of the O. gratissimum L. and P. amboinicus L. oils alone and combined have a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)≥1024μg/mL, except against E. coli ATCC10536, which showed a MIC=128μg/mL and against S. aureus ATCC25923 with MIC=512μg/mL. The drug-modifying effect of the essential oil of O. gratissimum L. resulted in an antagonism, reducing the effect of antibiotics, against all bacterial strains assayed. However, the essential oil of P. amboinicus L. showed a synergistic effect, potentiating the antibiotic activity of these drugs against the bacterial strains assayed. When the mixture of the O. gratissimum and P. amboinicus oils was combined with the antibiotic, a synergistic effect was observed. The data obtained are promising, but further studies are needed to isolate the active compounds and to conduct pharmacological tests in vivo, making it possible to develop new therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of diseases caused by multiresistant microorganisms.