Antibacterial activity of commercially available plant-derived essential oils against oral pathogenic bacteria

• Published in: Natural product research Vol. 30; no. 10; pp. 1178 - 1181
• Main Authors: Bardají, D.K.R., Reis, E.B., Medeiros, T.C.T., Lucarini, R., Crotti, A.E.M., Martins, C.H.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 18-05-2016
• Subjects: Actinomyces - drug effects; Actinomyces naeslundii; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Bacteria; cariogenic bacteria; Cinnamomum zeylanicum; Cinnamomum zeylanicum - chemistry; Fusobacterium nucleatum; Fusobacterium nucleatum - drug effects; Lauraceae; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mouth - microbiology; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Plant Oils - pharmacology; Prevotella nigrescens; Prevotella nigrescens - drug effects; Streptococcus mutans; Streptococcus mutans - drug effects; cariogenic bacteria; Cinnamomum zeylanicum; Streptococcus mutans
• ISSN: 1478-6419; 1478-6427
• DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2015.1043630

This work investigated the antibacterial activity of 15 commercially available plant-derived essential oils (EOs) against a panel of oral pathogens. The broth microdilution method afforded the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of the assayed EOs. The EO obtained from Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Lauraceae) (CZ-EO) displayed moderate activity against Fusobacterium nucleatum (MIC and MBC = 125 μg/mL), Actinomyces naeslundii (MIC and MBC = 125 μg/mL), Prevotella nigrescens (MIC and MBC = 125 μg/mL) and Streptococcus mutans (MIC = 200 μg/mL; MBC = 400 μg/mL). (Z)-isosafrole (85.3%) was the main chemical component of this oil. We did not detect cinnamaldehyde, previously described as the major constituent of CZ-EO, in specimens collected in other countries.