Journal
ANTIBIOTICS-BASEL
Volume 12, Issue 5, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050846
Keywords
Staphylococcus aureus; essential oils; antibiotic; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Melaleuca alternifolia; Eucalyptus globulus
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Research suggests that Melaleuca alternifolia and Eucalyptus globulus essential oils have antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. By altering the membrane permeability and in combination with oxacillin or other essential oils, the bacterial load can be reduced.
The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has become a major therapeutic priority. This trend indicates the need for alternative agents to antibiotics, such as natural compounds of plant origin. By assessing membrane permeability, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of Melaleuca alternifolia and Eucalyptus globulus essential oils (EOs) against three strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Using the checkerboard method, the efficacy of single EOs, in association with each other or in combination with oxacillin, was quantified by calculating the fractional inhibitory concentrations (FIC Index). All EOs showed a reduction in bacterial load, an alteration of membrane permeability which leads to an increase in its function, resulting in the release of nucleic acids and proteins. The treatment with EO-oxacillin combinations and associated EO-EO resulted in a synergistic effect in most of the tests performed. EO-EO association showed a high activity in the alteration of the membrane, increasing the permeability to about 80% in all the MRSA strains treated. In conclusion, the combination of EOs and antibiotics represents a valid therapeutic support against MRSA bacteria, allowing for a decrease in the antibiotic concentration needed for therapeutic use.
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