Chemical and Biological Characterization of Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil

Abstract

The essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, commonly known as tea tree oil, has many beneficial properties due to its bioactive compounds. The aim of this research was to characterize the tea tree essential oil (TTEO) from Slovakia and its biological properties, which are specific to the chemical composition of essential oil. Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy revealed that terpinen-4-ol was dominant with a content of 40.3%. γ-Terpinene, 1,8-cineole, and p-cymene were identified in contents of 11.7%, 7.0%, and 6.2%, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined at 41.6% radical inhibition, which was equivalent to 447 μg Trolox to 1 mL sample. Antimicrobial activity was observed by the disk diffusion method against Gram-positive (G+), Gram-negative (G−) bacteria and against yeasts, where the best antimicrobial activity was against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans with an inhibition zone of 10.67 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration showed better susceptibility by G+ and G− planktonic cells, while yeast species and biofilm-forming bacteria strains were more resistant. Antibiofilm activity was observed against Pseudomonas fluorescens and Salmonella enterica by MALDI-TOF, where degradation of the protein spectra after the addition of essential oil was obtained. Good biological properties of tea tree essential oil allow its use in the food industry or in medicine as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent.

Antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) essential oil against colistin resistant Salmonella enterica serotypes isolated from poultry environmental specimens

“…The commercially available TTO that used in present study was analyzed by GC and GC/MS and terpinen-4-ol was found as major component with 35.9%, other high content substances were γ-Terpinene 14.2% and p-Cymene 10.99%, respectively. Borotova et al [36] was detected that TTO contains terpinen-4-ol as dominate content, γ-Terpinene, and p-cymene with 40.3%, 11.7%, and 6.2% respectively, similar to our results. Melo et al [37] was found that contents of TTO were Terpinen-4-ol (39.8-40.4%), γ-Terpinene (17.8-19.5%) and p-Cymene (2.3-4.7%).…”

“…In this study, the efficacy of TTO against S. enterica serotypes was determined as MIC and concentrations were found between 6250-12500 µg/mL. Borotova et al [36] evaluated the antibacterial activity of TTO against S. enterica (MIC50: 11.82 µl/mL; MIC90: 16.36 µl/mL). Puvaca et al [43] tested the antibacterial activity of TTO by disk difussion method and found effective with 15 mm zone of inhibition diameter against S. Typhi.…”

“…In this study, it was determined that TTO reduced the biofilm formation of isolates by 52-84.4% at sub-inhibitory concentration. In the literature review, Borotova et al [36] investigated the activity of 0.1% TTO against S. enterica biofilm by MALDI-TOF and stated that this concentration was not sufficient to break down the biofilm at the protein level. Since there are a limited number of studies investigating the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of TTO against Salmonella serotypes, the results obtained in this study are important in terms of providing data to the literature.…”

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antibiofilm Activities of Backhousia citriodora Essential Oil

“…However, the biofilms of K. pneumoniae appeared to be less sensitive to being inhibited or eradicated by BCEO than by streptomycin in this study. Several recent reports revealed that the bacteria biofilm could be inhibited or eradicated effectively by EOs, including clove basil oil [ 88 ], tea tree oil [ 89 ], cedar oil [ 90 ], and garlic and thyme oil [ 91 ]. Recently, Cáceres et al [ 92 ] reported that EO from Lippia origanoides showed detrimental effects against biofilm formation in E. coli O33, E. coli O157:H7, and S. epidermidis ATCC12228, with percentages of biofilm inhibition of 75%, 73%, and 74%, respectively.…”

Candida albicans and Staphylococcus sp identify the presence of invasive and deep invasive squamous cell carcinoma induced by 4-nitroquiloline oxide

“…The Melaleuca alternifolia Tea tree oil (TTO) contains 40.3% of Terpinen-4-ol and demonstrated in-vitro antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans (Borotová et al, 2022) and the in vitro analysis of TP-4-ol have been showed antibacterial activity. Bordini Our results described an increase of Staphylococcus sp in healthy animals chronically exposed to 0.1nL/g of TP-4-ol [-].…”