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. 2024 Apr 16;29(8):1811.
doi: 10.3390/molecules29081811.

Antimicrobial Activity of Individual Volatile Compounds from Various Essential Oils

Adriana Brandes  1 , Mareshah Dunning  1 , Jeffrey Langland  1
Affiliations

Antimicrobial Activity of Individual Volatile Compounds from Various Essential Oils

Adriana Brandes et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Interest in natural remedies has grown recently due to a variety of public health concerns such as microbial antibiotic resistance. This global health concern necessitates innovative approaches to combat bacterial infections. Building upon established therapeutic uses of essential oils, this research focused on the volatile constituents of essential oils. The volatile antimicrobial activity of these constituents was studied by employing a derivative of a modified disk diffusion assay for quantitative comparisons. This study emphasizes the significance and value of exploring natural compounds as alternatives to traditional antibiotics and provides insights into their mechanisms and applications in contending with bacterial pathogens.

Keywords: antibacterial; essential oil; volatile compound.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Volatile antibacterial activity of essential oils against Streptococcus pyogenes. Bacterial zone of inhibition assays were performed measuring the activity of volatile constituents from Gaultheria fragrantissima (Wintergreen), Citrus limon (Lemon), Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree), Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon), Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary), and Thymus vulgaris (Thyme) essential oils. The results are displayed with a color gradient from light to dark grey to represent the increasing essential oil concentrations, in the order of 0 μL, 10 μL, 20 μL, 40 μL, and 80 μL, respectively. The antimicrobial efficacy was assessed based on the zone of inhibition diameter and categorized as none (<10 mm), negligible (10–15 mm), low (15–30 mm), moderate (30–50 mm), high (50–70 mm), and highest (>70 mm). Error bars denote the standard deviation derived from three separate experiments. Statistically significant deviation of the various essential oils relative to an EtOH control are indicated with asterisks: * p = 0.01–0.05; ** p = 0.001–0.01.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Antibacterial activity of essential oil volatile constituents against Streptococcus pyogenes. Bacterial zone of inhibition assays were performed measuring the activity of various volatile compounds and recreated compound blends derived from (A) Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree), (B) Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon), (C) Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary), and (D) Thymus vulgaris (Thyme). The results are displayed with a color gradient from light to dark grey to represent the increasing essential oil concentrations, in the order of 0 μL, 10 μL, 20 μL, 40 μL, and 80 μL, respectively. The antimicrobial efficacy was assessed based on the zone of inhibition diameter and categorized as none (<10 mm), negligible (10–15 mm), low (15–30 mm), moderate (30–50 mm), high (50–70 mm), and highest (>70 mm). Error bars denote the standard deviation derived from three separate experiments. Statistically significant deviation of the various isolated compounds and essential oils relative to an EtOH control are indicated with asterisks: * p = 0.01–0.05; ** p = 0.001–0.01; *** p < 0.001.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Antibacterial activity of essential oil volatile constituents against Streptococcus pyogenes. Bacterial zone of inhibition assays were performed measuring the activity of various volatile compounds and recreated compound blends derived from (A) Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree), (B) Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon), (C) Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary), and (D) Thymus vulgaris (Thyme). The results are displayed with a color gradient from light to dark grey to represent the increasing essential oil concentrations, in the order of 0 μL, 10 μL, 20 μL, 40 μL, and 80 μL, respectively. The antimicrobial efficacy was assessed based on the zone of inhibition diameter and categorized as none (<10 mm), negligible (10–15 mm), low (15–30 mm), moderate (30–50 mm), high (50–70 mm), and highest (>70 mm). Error bars denote the standard deviation derived from three separate experiments. Statistically significant deviation of the various isolated compounds and essential oils relative to an EtOH control are indicated with asterisks: * p = 0.01–0.05; ** p = 0.001–0.01; *** p < 0.001.
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