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In vitro antibacterial activities of essential oils and extracts of six herbals against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria

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Abstract

Object

Considering the development of bacterial resistance to chemical antibiotics and their adverse effects on the environment and public health, there is a growing demand to replace them with plant-based derivatives or combine these green agents with antibiotics to give synergistic effects. In this study, the antimicrobial properties of essential oils and extracts of six medicinal plants from Ahvaz region, Iran, against 12 gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were evaluated.

Methods

The EOs and extracts were extracted using water distillation with Clevenger apparatus. We analyzed the chemical composition of essential oils obtained. The antimicrobial properties and determination of the minimum concentration of growth inhibition of herbals were investigated by the broth dilution technique.

Results

All analyzed extracts and EOs showed antibacterial effects. The antimicrobial activity of Oliveria decumbens was strongest herbals with the least MIC ranges (0.008–0.1 mg/ml for EO, 0.9–20 mg/ml for extract), while the antibacterial effects of Artemisia vulgaris extract and Glycyrrhiza glabra EO with the highest MIC were weaker than the others. According to the effectiveness of plant extracts on bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant to all extracts except Oliveria decumbens. In contrast, Bacillus cereus was more sensitive than other strains against analyzed EOs and extracts. In Oliveria decumbens, EO detected 18 components by GC/MS with accessible genuine standards, accounting for 98% of the oil content.

Conclusion

It seems that due to the antimicrobial properties of the extracts and essential oils observed in this study, they can be used as an alternative to antimicrobial drugs after more extensive studies.

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Acknowledgement

This study was financially supported by a grant (no: OG-95127) from the Research Affairs, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran and the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. We are grateful to the Research Affairs of the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran for the financial support of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Mansour Amin

  2. Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Mansour Amin, Farkhondeh Haghparasty & Atiyeh Hakimi

  3. Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Sousan Akrami

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  1. Mansour Amin
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Correspondence to Sousan Akrami.

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Conflict of interest

Mansour Amin, Sousan Akrami, Farkhondeh Haghparasty, Atiyeh Hakimi declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Ethical statement

This project was confirmed by the Ethics Committee of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran (No. IR.AJUMS.REC.1395.479).

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Amin, M., Akrami, S., Haghparasty, F. et al. In vitro antibacterial activities of essential oils and extracts of six herbals against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Toxicol. Environ. Health Sci. 15, 53–60 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13530-022-00160-7

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