Research reports

RESEARCH REPORTS TONY

BALACS

The

following

preparations

were

tested: A Swiss team activity their

of

Tinctures: chamomiles,

against

oral

(KYUVZWLZIrinnd,vaj

et al., 1994).

Some

bacteria

(Shapiro bacteria

the

obligate even

under

anaerobes,

they would

be killed

a tiny

lesser

meaning

that

for

whereas for

small

a of

Minty

constituents

and

oils

Essential

are

used

their at

low

rosemary, tree; thymol

hacks

(TM)

(TM),

(containing

F&US

pinasler oil). conclusions studies;

drew the following

from

the results

although

two chamomile warranted

extracts

the

essential

obligate

microaerophiles. wide

range

bacterial

actions

of

inclusion.

oils

surveyed,

and sage were

inhibitory

the

antitheir

not justify

peppermint

significantly all

may be

their

antimicrobial

would

Of

of

activities,

insignificant

tea tree,

of the

and rhatany

products

by virtue

inflammatory certainly

of their

the inclusion

root in oral hygiene

oxygen.

root

Echinacea;

Eugenol,

The authors

were

amounts

and tea

Constituents: Pycnogenol

with

having

Roman

rhatany

basil,

sage,

oxygen

others

microaerophiles, requirement

oxygen.

anaerobes,

and

myrrh,

Others:

by the presence of

German

Essential oils: Peppermint,

were

requirement

exclusion,

oils

test

amount

Some were facultative a

studying

essential

components

of

of

the and

has been

some

in vitro against and

anaerobes Thymol

had a very

activity

against

types whereas

all

eugenol’s

was

much weaker. In

general,

anaerobes the

botanicals

obligate authors to

the

facultative

were much less sensitive tested

anaerobes,

make

a

were

link

to the

although

did not consider

classification

than

the

it reasonable between

or the bacteria

the

and their

sensitivity.

concentrations lozenges, so

in

medicines

mouthwashes, their

understanding

antibacterial considerable importance.

A team in Seville has been studying the antimicrobial

and toothpastes,

activity

oral is

present-day

of

activity of the essential oil

of Achilles ugmtum, flowered

herb

southwestern

a fragrant

which Spain

grows

yellowwild

and is used

in

as a

digestive tonic (De la Puerta et al., 1996).

On GC-MS, the

Lhe main

oil were

ketone

constituents

found

(55.7%),

to be

of

the

1,8-cineole

(10.6%),

(aqueous

oxide

(3.8%),

b&a-caryophyllene artemisia

alcohol

humulene

(2.2%)

and

well

tested against Bac%llus c~eus, B. subtilis,

in

chloroform

have

and

this

sLudy

extracts)

contained

diallyl

as well as allicin.

Both

oil was

disulphide

used

and

disulphide

carvacrol

Achilles ugeratum essential

to diallyl

preparations

may

beta-

(2.7%),

(1.6%)

B.

decomposes

artemisia

allicin

and

marcescens,

the

and Singh,

1996)

aqueous

The

against

40

three

bacterial

species

of

tested.

the

four

Allicin

was

the gram-positive

S.

but inactive

rrkarcescens,

S.

all

pneurrkoniae and authors

of

in viva

both

dehydrogenase, alkaline

dehydrogenase

increased

by allicin

vitro.

The

allicin,

K.

observed

succinate

possibility

against

typhimurium,

allicin

activity

and

It was also

spp., S. aureus) as well as E. coli, which is gram-negative,

to

phosphatase

(BacilZus

organisms

enzymes,

in vitro: lactate

and

that

the

acetylcholinesterase

Salmonella

vitro against

is known

found

inhibited

mollusc

typh%murium, Klebsiella pneumo,n%ac and in

against

viuo (Singh

Allicin

workers

significantly

strains

sLudying

allicin

in vitro and in

were highly active irz vitro

all

have been

snail tissue

garlic extract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It was active

India,

the activity of synthelic

be molluscicidal.

megatertium, Stckph. aureus, E coli,

Serrutia

Gorakhpur;

that

snail

activity

research

offers

the

of the more effective and

possibly

molluscicidal

was

in viuo but not in use of

garlic,

as

a

agent.

aerugi~nosa. The

P.

concluded

Achilles

that

agerutukmoil might well be of practical use against

Lhe sensiLive bacLeria. Piper angustifolium grows in the Andes and

is used

as a decoction

disinfection Italian Dysentery

is a widespread

developing the

countries,

tropics

problem

particularly

during

the

rates have been increasing

recent

years

development resistance,

because of

whereby

are becoming potent

strains

of an oil obLained

the

along

antimicrobial in

Essential constituents

antibiotics.

oils may

and

therefore

their have

developed

because and

resistance

may

be

an

has not

unlikely

to

constituent

team

extract

has

and

of it) against

most. imporLant

been

allicin

four

enteroloxic

(Ahsam et al., 1996)

the

(a

of the bacLeria

Shigellu dysenteriae

exLracL.

co-Lrimoxazole

tetracycline

nalidixic

acid had some

preparations,

V ch,olerae,as it is

was not tested against

for garlic

as a treatment

especially

as

antibiotic very

for dysentery

gentamycin,

the

only

to approach

it in activity, is

Lo the

and

Loxic

kidneys

Lhe

chobrae,

Vibrio

cholera.

These

responsible

which

are

year, and are spread in water, soil and

A species is

Allicin true

(diallyl thiosulphinate)

component garlic

is a

of garlic oil and has odour.

It

readily

the

of snail, Lymnaea acuminatu, intermediate

parasites

which

economically in livestock

host

cause

serious,

very significant in India.

for

was

came

from

the

,flckvus and albicnn.s,

to a lesser

Mycobactc?rium

extent

int,racellularcke

cerevisiae.

Piper

two

angust(folium oil was much more active

and

than either

disease

Two workers

it

~neo@rman,s, Trichophyton

Sacchurvrnyces

and

when

Candida

,mentugrophytes and against

(1.1%).

in vi&o, the most

Aspergillus

Against

of deaths each

beta-selinene

tests.

Cryptococcus

faeccs. minor

effective results

antifungal

the allo-

Lhe oil was also tested

bacteria,

interesting

and of

were

(2.8%),

fumigatus,

causes

microorganisms

for millions

against moderately

(25.3%),

Some

and eremophilene

Although

audiLory sysLem.

of the oil

(4.8%)

(4.5%).

aromadendrene

great promise

arc

iso-borne01

constituents

(2.2%)

is oil,

of its isolation

(22.4%),

activity of the garlic known to be inactive.

essential

alpha-pinene

rarer

oil

eL al., 1996).

camphene (12.8%),

oil’s

The

to be camphor

beta-bisabolol

from

the

main constituents

had the range

type 1 and S. ,Jexn,erii r?nterotoxigen,icE. coli and

The

were found

activity against E. coli and the Shigellae, but

an

no details

but only gentamycin

of

as

given (Tirillini

and

were mostly useless against

The results indicate

A Bangladesh garlic

than

Ampicillin,

develop in the future. studying

potent

wiLh

activity. to

although more

the bacteria,

role to play in Lhe Lreatment

of dysentery

referred

the drug

of bacteria

toxic

An the

composition plant,

the

studying

has been

in

resistant to even the most

and

increasing

of

multiple

group

for

and sores.

in

monsoon.

Mortality

of wounds

in

In slightly

camphor

most less

tests

or camphene. the

oil was only

effective

than

amphotericin

B

considerable P@r a

or

rifamycin.

concluded

auLhors

antifungal

activily

effecL

and

the

oil was due either

angustijolium

synergistic

camphor

The

that

the

between or

(Hayashi et al., 1995).

of

showed

no

to

against

HSV-I

the

camphene,

some more minor

cordata and its constituents

Houttuynia

to

constituent(s).

did

significant

inhibit

especially

The essential

oil, has been

the antibacterial

effects

and of two of its phenolic thymol

and

coli.

1994).

laurel

enterotoxin

Staphylococcus.. grown

on nutrient

were

agar, either

alone

carvacrol,

of either

thyme

thymol,

oil, paya-cymene

or

slightly

S.

unaffected

thymol,

growth

inhibited

by

was

Carvacrol

by

lOOug/ml

significantly

by 14ug/ml

conipletely

was

ty$himurium

and

significant

poliovirus,

and similar

enveloped

which

essential

oil

viruses.

virus

are not

and

seem

that

exert

action by interfering

II its

condala antiviral

susceptible.

The

non-cyloloxic increasing

thymol

at

The

Research lO(4):

may

be

oil was effective

at

concenlrations,

greatly

its likely usefulness.

of

the

conditions.

were greaLer

under

aerobic

(up to 500 ug/ml) or

alpha-terpinene

(up to 300 ug/ml)

noL significantly

affect the growth of S.

nature

of carvacrol

important

factor in their activity authors

bind

proteins,

to

phenolic

bacterial

thus

the

tias

hypothesize

Lhymol and carvacrol’s

did

that

suggesting

phenolic The

an that

groups

membrane

altering

group has been investigating

the antimicrobial distillate

their

activities

from

of Coleus

aromaticus,

which is rich in phenolics,

especially

carvacrol

(72%)

(Prudent,

1995). oregano, globe,

was found

been

called

introduced

wild to the

from Asia. Its essenLia1 oil to contain

carvacrol

&a-caryophyllenc

(13%)

alpha-bergamotene

(7%)

constituents,

(61%),

and

IrTcn.s-

three antiviral

workers action

Japanese

have

reported

for the essential

paper, an oil of

Prudent

0

essential

oil

was

but

Mycobactem&n

was inactive

against

faecalis and Pseudomwaas The organic

extracts

srrkepatis, Streptococcus

amugin.osa.

of the plant were

287-241. Factors

antibacterial oil and

,[ournnl

its

OJ Applied

D. (1995)

Martinique

(Coleus

evaluation

of

Analysis of

aromaticus

its

0

Shapiro

activity

and essential

oil components

bacteria.

Oral

Immurkology 9 (4)

The

of essential

oils

towards

Microbiolo,g

und

: 202-208.

Singh

0 (1996)

V.K.

Enzyme

and

inhibition

molluscicidal

agent

Singh

D.K.

by allicin, of

Allium

P!kylotherupy Research

383-386. 0

Tirillini

Chemical antimicrobial Piper

of

S. et al. (1994)

antimicrobial

lO(5):

and

Journal

Oil Research 7: 165-173.

Essential

oral

from BenLh)

bacterioscatic

properties.

the

at below 0.1%.

the

its virus

oil of wild oregano

sativum L. (garlic).

oregano

and

influenza

essential

Indian and Pakistani oils are so rich (41

cho1era.e and exciting

with

the essential

as the major

with thymol, in which the

(1995)

Juven B.J. et al. (1994)

and SO%, respectively), Wild

al.

cordata

on HSVl,

interact

very widely spread around the

having

et

Bacteriology 76: 626-631.

active against Staph. auwus, E. coli, Vibrio a very

K.

Houttuynia

fungistatic The plant, somelimes

Achilles

effecLs of the steam distillate

components

of the steam

and so1venL extract

West Indies

permeability.

In

Hayashi

0 Virucidal

that

A French

from

Research 10: 248.

250.

of thyme

than thymhl against S. ty$himurium.

typhimurium,

oil

Phylatherapy

constituents.

Thyme oil was more potent

fara-cymene

volatile

action

species

R. et al. (1996)

activity and composition

active

than

Ph$otherapy

329-331.

ug/ml

on bot.h bacteria1

Escherichia

cholerae.

and HIV. Planta Mcdica 61(3):

by

of

Lype 1 and Shigella

De la Puerta

ageratum.

against

strains

enterotoxigenic

effecLs of thymol

under

anaerobic

effective

Garlic

spectrum

resistant

and Vibrio

0

175-250

concentrations.

agents

AntibacLerial

with the life cycle

enveloped

coli

0

oil.

thymol.

of

flexneri,

enveloped,

by the essential may

broad

dysenteriae

cocksackie

were unaffected

allicin:

Shigella

viruses

~UTIXU was inhibited

E. the

carvacrol.

Ahsam M. et al. (1996) and

antibacterial

only above 200ug/ml.

Slaph.

can

other

0 extract

in the infectiviLy

range

being

that

antibaclerial

is probably

drug

stopped

on the growth of S. typhimutium

important

constituent

multiple

IHIV-1 particles

However,

either

and that a wide

its effect

the oil against consider

dose-

of cell-free with

was

of the viral envelope,

175ug/ml

was less inhibitory,

most

virus.

against

decreases

It would

Although

than

authors

active

oil produced

dependent

alpha-terpinene. apparently

effective

virus. The essential

results

The

capryl

methyl-n-nonylketone

bacLeria

or in the presence

and

moderately

Another,

A-producing

aureus

were

oil

typhim,urium

and extract

of the essential

aldehyde

of thyme

only

Jaecalis

affect the cells themselves.

HSV-1 but not influenza

SUl~lO~dl~

and

oil was

against

et al.,

and

which did not

at

(Juven,

S.

p nuruginosa, but the n-hexane was less active

virus

looking

constituents,

carvacrol

active than the essential

against

influenza

HSV-1 in vitro. The

aldehyde, group

more

oil

or MDCK cell lines but

Two constituents

An Israeli

cytotoxicity

active at concentrations adversely

slightly

oil

B.

al.

(1996) and

activity of essential

angustifolium.

372-373.

et

composition Planta

oil of

Medica

62: