Antimicrobial Effects of Essential Oils on<i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>

Horne, Diane; Holm, Mitchel; Oberg, C. J.; Chao, Sue; Young, David G.

doi:10.1080/10412905.2001.9712241

Cited by 66 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Some antimicrobial agents cause gross membrane damage and provoke whole-cell lysis (14,28); and this has been reported previously for essential oils from oregano, rosewood, and thyme (20). However, the major components of these oils, including carvacrol, citronellol, geraniol, and thymol (38), are not found in TTO.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Mechanism of Action ofMelaleuca alternifolia(Tea Tree) Oil onStaphylococcus aureusDetermined by Time-Kill, Lysis, Leakage, and Salt Tolerance Assays and Electron Microscopy

Carson

Mee

Riley

2002

Antimicrob Agents Chemother

828

578

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The mechanisms of action of tea tree oil and three of its components, 1,8-cineole, terpinen-4-ol, and ␣-terpineol, against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 9144 were investigated. Treatment with these agents at their MICs and two times their MICs, particularly treatment with terpinen-4-ol and ␣-terpineol, reduced the viability of S. aureus. None of the agents caused lysis, as determined by measurement of the optical density at 620 nm, although cells became disproportionately sensitive to subsequent autolysis. Loss of 260-nm-absorbing material occurred after treatment with concentrations equivalent to the MIC, particularly after treatment with 1,8-cineole and ␣-terpineol. S. aureus organisms treated with tea tree oil or its components at the MIC or two times the MIC showed a significant loss of tolerance to NaCl. When the agents were tested at one-half the MIC, only 1,8-cineole significantly reduced the tolerance of S. aureus to NaCl. Electron microscopy of terpinen-4-ol-treated cells showed the formation of mesosomes and the loss of cytoplasmic contents. The predisposition to lysis, the loss of 260-nm-absorbing material, the loss of tolerance to NaCl, and the altered morphology seen by electron microscopy all suggest that tea tree oil and its components compromise the cytoplasmic membrane.The essential oil derived by steam distillation from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia is also known as tea tree oil (TTO) or Melaleuca oil. TTO is well characterized and contains approximately 100 terpenes and their related alcohols (6). The physical and chemical properties of commercial TTO are regulated by an international standard (23). TTO has antibacterial (8, 17), antifungal (18, 19), antiviral (4), and anti-inflammatory (5) properties in vitro, suggesting that it may have a role in the treatment of cutaneous infection. Clinical trials have demonstrated that TTO may be efficacious in the treatment of acne (2) and oral candidiasis (24) and in the decolonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriers (7). Although the in vitro antimicrobial activity and in vivo efficacy of TTO have been reported, less is known about its mechanism of action. Since this will have implications for its spectrum of activity, selective toxicity, and the development of resistance, we examined the mechanism of action of TTO and its components against S. aureus. MATERIALS AND METHODSTTO and components. TTO (batch 971) was kindly provided by Australian Plantations Pty. Ltd., Wyrallah, New South Wales, Australia. The levels of the components, determined by gas chromatographic analysis according to the international standard (23), were as follows: 41.5% terpinen-4-ol, 21.2% ␥-terpinene, 10.2% ␣-terpinene, 3.5% terpinolene, 2.9% ␣-terpineol, 2.5% ␣-pinene, 2.1% 1,8-cineole, 1.5% -cymene, 1% aromadendrene, 1% ␦-cadinene, 0.9% ledene, 0.9% limonene, 0.6% globulol, 0.4% sabinene, and 0.3% viridiflorol. Terpinen-4-ol and ␣-terpineol (Aldrich Chem...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Mechanism of Action ofMelaleuca alternifolia(Tea Tree) Oil onStaphylococcus aureusDetermined by Time-Kill, Lysis, Leakage, and Salt Tolerance Assays and Electron Microscopy

Carson

Mee

Riley

2002

Antimicrob Agents Chemother

828

578

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The plant (herb) and its essential oil have found diverse applications in pharmacy and medicine (Leung and Foster 1996). The oil was reported to have antimicrobial (bacteria and fungi) (Chao et al 2000;Horne et al 2001), carminative and expectorant (Leung and Foster 1996) activities, most of which are mediated by thymol and carvacrol, as the phenolic components of the oil, with the former generally more potent. The content of essential oil and its composition in thyme depend on different factors, particularly its chemo-and biotype and cultivation conditions, such as climate, geographic origin, harvesting time, and use of fertilizers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effect of Piriformospora indica and Sebacina vermifera on plant growth and essential oil yield in Thymus vulgaris in vitro and in vivo experiments

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Thymus vulgaris of family Lamiaceae is one of the most plants in pharmacy industries. In this study effect of Piriformospora indica and Sebacina vermifera on growth and development plant, yield and composition of the essential oil in a completely randomized design were evaluated in vitro and in pot culture experiments. Plants were studied by means of plant height, shoot fresh and dry weights, number of shoots, root length, root fresh and dry weights and essential oil analyses. The oil was extracted from the dry matter of shoots by hydro distillation, and their composition was determined by GC/MS. In vitro and in vivo cultures showed that plant height and root length increased in pots inoculated with S. vermifera and P. indica. Maximum fresh and dry weight (shoot and root), number of shoots were observed in pots inoculated with P. indica. In thyme inoculated with S. vermifera and P. indica oil yield increased as compared to non-inoculated control plants. GC and GC/MS revealed that the level of thymol was enhanced as the effect of S. vermifera and P. indica.

show abstract

“…TTO is successfully used worldwide in nursing, in skin care cosmetics, and to treat certain local bacterial and fungal infections [33][34][35]. TTO could be shown to reveal a high antibacterial activity against S. aureus in vitro and in vivo [36,37].…”

Section: Tee Tree Oil Activity In Staphylococcus Aureus Cellsan Electmentioning

confidence: 99%

Essential Oils of Aromatic Plants with Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antiviral, and Cytotoxic Properties – an Overview

Reichling¹,

Schnitzler

Suschke³

et al. 2009

Complement Med Res

353

266

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The abundant use of anti-infective agents resulted in the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, fungi, and viruses. To overcome the increasing resistance of pathogenic microbes, a variety of medicinal plants have been screened worldwide for their antimicrobial properties. The aim is to find new, effective antimicrobial agents with novel modes of actions. Essential oils derived from aromatic medicinal plants have been reported to exhibit exceptionally good antimicrobial effects against bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi, and viruses. The progress of this expanding scientific field will be documented by the most important results published in the last decade.

show abstract

Antimicrobial Effects of Essential Oils onStreptococcus pneumoniae

Cited by 66 publications

References 25 publications

Mechanism of Action ofMelaleuca alternifolia(Tea Tree) Oil onStaphylococcus aureusDetermined by Time-Kill, Lysis, Leakage, and Salt Tolerance Assays and Electron Microscopy

Mechanism of Action ofMelaleuca alternifolia(Tea Tree) Oil onStaphylococcus aureusDetermined by Time-Kill, Lysis, Leakage, and Salt Tolerance Assays and Electron Microscopy

Effect of Piriformospora indica and Sebacina vermifera on plant growth and essential oil yield in Thymus vulgaris in vitro and in vivo experiments

Essential Oils of Aromatic Plants with Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antiviral, and Cytotoxic Properties – an Overview

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About