In a recent study, the antibacterial activity of natural products was assessed by examining the chemical composition and screening of the plant species Protium hebetatum. The findings showed that this extract was effective against Staphylococcus aureus, a model bacterium that causes many different illnesses. Moreover, this herb is considered valuable for its industrial applications. Its potential is also evident in the development of coumarin-based antibiotics.
The chemical composition of essential oils from 15 aromatic medicinal plants from the Democratic Republic of Congo was characterized. Various constituents were identified, including limonene, 1,8-cineole, alpha and beta-pinene, gamma-terpineol, and ethyl acetate. The methanol extract was screened using disc diffusion and exhibited a low antibacterial activity against 10 phytopathogenic bacteria.
The essential oils of Pistacia atlantica and Zataria multiflora were extracted with methanol and then tested. These oils contained monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, ethyl acetate, and octadecane. The antimicrobial activity of these compounds was evaluated using a disc diffusion method. Interestingly, both extracts displayed antibacterial activity against 10 fungi and were inactive against two dermatophytes.
Chemical composition and screening of antibacterial activity of essential oils can be achieved using the disk diffusion method. The disk diffusion technique is normally used as a preliminary test, before further testing. The essential oils were cultured for 18 h at 37degC in Mueller Hinton broth. The cultures were adjusted to 10 5 CFU/ml with sterile saline solution. Then, 500 microliters of suspension were spread on Mueller-Hinton agar plates. The resulting cultures were screened for minimum inhibitory concentration by disc diffusion.
After testing, the essential oil of Eucalyptus hebetatum showed moderate inhibitory activity against a panel of bacterial strains. The methanol fractions were the most effective in inhibiting P. aeruginosa, while the other four had weak antibacterial activity. Agar diffusion test is a qualitative test, and is useful for identifying plant compounds. This procedure involves dividing samples of the same species into several portions.
A few essential oils from the burseraceae family, Protium hebetatum D.C. Daly, were tested to determine whether they were effective against a variety of bacteria. The methanol extract had a 13-mm inhibition zone, and the dichloromethane fraction was also potent against S. aureus. The results indicate that methanol-based extracts are effective and can inhibit a wide range of bacterial strains.
The antibacterial activity of M. spicata essential oil was studied using a bioautography method. The crude extract had more activity than fractionated extracts in the agar diffusion test. Among the ten-molar sensitivity of M. spicata essential oil to L. monocytogenes was found to be greater than the inhibition zone of the other methanolic extracts.
