Synergy between essential oil components and antibiotics: a review

Abstract

With the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the lack of new antibiotics being brought onto the market, alternative strategies need to be found to cope with infections resulting from drug-resistant bacteria. A possible solution may be to combine existing antibiotics with phytochemicals to enhance the efficacy of antibiotics. A group of phytochemicals that is said to have such effects, according to in vitro studies, is essential oils (EOs) and their components. Amongst others, EOs containing carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, eugenol and thymol can have a synergistic effect in combination with antibiotics. Several modes of action have been put forward by which antibiotics and the essential oil components may act synergistically, such as by affecting multiple targets; by physicochemical interactions and inhibiting antibacterial-resistance mechanisms. Many reported assays show additivity or moderate synergism, indicating that EOs may offer possibilities for reducing antibiotic use.

Combined Effect of Cinnamon Essential Oil and Pomegranate Peel Extract on Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Physical Properties of Chitosan Films

“…Essential oils containing carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, eugenol and thymol can have a synergistic effect in combination with other antibacterial agents (Langeveld et al, 2014;Bassolé and Juliani, 2012). The present study showed that the antibacterial activity against the S. aureus in the film incorporated with CEO + PPE was significantly higher than that incorporated with CEO or PPE alone, suggesting there is a synergistic action between CEO and PPE.…”

Antibacterial Activity of Mentha Pulegium Essential Oil Against Avian Isolated Esbl Producing Bacteria and Its Synergistic Potential With Antibiotics

“…Broth micro dilution checkerboard method was used to determine the potential synergistic interactions between Mentha pulegium essential oil and antibiotics on 96 well-plate [14,15]. Nine conventional antibiotics have been used (table 4).…”

Medicinal plants in the treatment ofHelicobacter pyloriinfections

“…(Lauraceae) is an efficacious remedy for the treatment of gastritis in traditional Iranian folk medicine (Arzani, 2005). Cinnamomum verum contains mainly cinnamaldehyde (61.57%) which is an aromatic aldehyde with an antimicrobial (Langeveld et al, 2014;Visvalingam et al, 2013) and antiviral activity (Ding et al, 2010). Cinnamaldehyde inhibited the growth of all the 30 H. pylori strains tested, at a concentration of 2 mg/mL, in the 12th h of incubation.…”