Can essential oils effectively control skin bacteria?: Unveiling their powerful antimicrobial effects

Lopes, Ana I.; Oliveira, Claudia S.; Pintado, Manuela E.; Tavaria, Freni K.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/55900

Use this identifier to reference this record.

Name:	Description:	Size:	Format:
134942506.pdf		3.34 MB	Adobe PDF	Download

Send Feedback

Authors

Abstract(s)

Skin-associated bacteria play a significant role in various dermatological conditions. Essential oils (EOs), known for their broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional treatments for bacterial skin infections. However, studies on the potential of EOs for treating these infections have largely centered on Staphylococcus aureus. As such, this study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of six EOs—rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, basil, sage, and thyme—against methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Cutibacterium acnes. Among the tested EOs, thyme EO exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC; 0.07–2.81 mg/mL) and (minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC; 0.07–11.22 mg/mL) values. In contrast, basil EO displayed the weakest activity, with the smallest inhibition zones observed against S. aureus MSSA (37.00 ± 1.80 mm), MRSA (34.50 ± 10.40 mm), and S. epidermidis (35.30 ± 1.30 mm), as well as the highest MIC (12.11–24.22 mg/mL) and MBC (12.11 to >24.22 mg/mL) values. Eucalyptus and lavender EOs showed MIC values ranging from 5.67 to 22.65 mg/mL and 5.54 to 22.16 mg/mL, respectively, and corresponding MBC values from 5.67 to >22.65 mg/mL and 5.54 to >22.16 mg/mL, though their activity was lower than that of thyme EO. Further analysis using flow cytometry confirmed the antibacterial activity of these oils, revealing that their mechanism of action involves disrupting bacterial membrane integrity. S. epidermidis exhibited the greatest resistance to EO treatments, and C. acnes was the most susceptible species. Additionally, the ability of EOs to inhibit MRSA highlights their potential as an alternative treatment for drug-resistant skin infections.

Keywords

Antibacterial activity Cutibacterium acnes Essential oils Skin bacteria Staphylococcus spp

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/55900

Citation

Lopes, A. I., Oliveira, C. S., Pintado, M. E., & Tavaria, F. K. (in press). Can essential oils effectively control skin bacteria? Unveiling their powerful antimicrobial effects. Microbiology spectrum. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01723-25