Otitis externa–Bacterial isolates and their sensitivity to essential oils of selected indigenous plants

P.Sivamani; B.Asha Nancy; M. Mary Queen; R.V.Kalaimathi; C.Kandeepan

Volume : III, Issue : IX, September - 2014

Otitis externa–Bacterial isolates and their sensitivity to essential oils of selected indigenous plants

P. Sivamani, B. Asha Nancy, M. Mary Queen, R. V. Kalaimathi, C. Kandeepan

Abstract :

Many pathogens and opportunistic pathogenic agents are increasingly encountered in ear infections. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogens, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus luteus, and Proteus mirabilis isolated from otitis externa infections cases were tested for their sensitivity to essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon martinii, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Mentha piperita, Pelarogonium graveolens, and Vitex negundo.In agar well diffusion method the selected essential oils were effective against both gram positive as well as gram negative organisms. For e.g, C. citratus was highly active against S.pneumoniaeand least against S. aureus. C. martinii was highly active against S.typhiand least against S. aureus. C.zeylanicumwas highly active against S.pneumoniaeand least against P.mirabilis. R..officinaliswas highly active against P.mirabilisand least against P.aeruginosa. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of essential oil of C.zeylanicumagainst all test organisms was best (0.25 mg/ml) and it was quite comparable with the reference drug Ciprofloxacin (0.25 mg/ ml). The results for all other essential oils were moderate, when compared with the reference drug. The results for minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were similar to minimal inhibitory concentration results. As no organism was found to be resistant to the tested essential oil, the results indicated that those essential oils could be used (aromatherapy) in different forms for the prevention, control and treatment of bacterial infections caused by those organisms particularly, for otitis externa patients.