Journal Article

Composition and Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oils of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth and Ficus deltoidea Jack against Pathogenic Oral Bacteria

Zainal Abidin, Zamirah, Jantan, Ibrahim, Azizan, Nuramirah, Mohd Said, Shahida

2017

Overview

In this study, the essential oils of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth and Ficus deltoidea Jack were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against invasive oral pathogens, namely Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus salivarius, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Chemical composition of the oils was analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity of the oils and their major constituents were investigated using the broth microdilution method (minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC)). Susceptibility test, anti-adhesion, anti-biofilm, checkerboard and time-kill assays were also carried out. Physiological changes of the bacterial cells after exposure to the oils were observed under the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). O. stamineus and F. deltoidea oils mainly consisted of sesquiterpenoids (44.6% and 60.9%, respectively), and β-caryophyllene was the most abundant compound in both oils (26.3% and 36.3%, respectively). Other compounds present in O. stamineus were α-humulene (5.1%) and eugenol (8.1%), while α-humulene (5.5%) and germacrene D (7.7%) were dominant in F. deltoidea. The oils of both plants showed moderate to strong inhibition against all tested bacteria with MIC and MBC values ranging 0.63–2.5 mg/mL. However, none showed any inhibition on monospecies biofilms. The time-kill assay showed that combination of both oils with amoxicillin at concentrations of 1× and 2× MIC values demonstrated additive antibacterial effect. The FESEM study showed that both oils produced significant alterations on the cells of Gram-negative bacteria as they became pleomorphic and lysed. In conclusion, the study indicated that the oils of O. stamineus and F. deltoidea possessed moderate to strong antibacterial properties against the seven strains pathogenic oral bacteria and may have caused disturbances of membrane structure or cell wall of the bacteria.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - drug effects / Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - growth & development / Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - isolation & purification / Amoxicillin - pharmacology / Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry / Anti-Bacterial Agents - isolation & purification / Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology / antibacterial / Bacteria / Biofilms - drug effects / Biofilms - growth & development / Chromatography / Drug Synergism / Enterococcus faecalis - drug effects / Enterococcus faecalis - growth & development / Enterococcus faecalis - isolation & purification / essential oils / Ficus - chemistry / Ficus deltoidea / Fusobacterium nucleatum - drug effects / Fusobacterium nucleatum - growth & development / Fusobacterium nucleatum - isolation & purification / Humans / Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Mouth - microbiology / Mouth - pathology / Oils & fats / Oils, Volatile - chemistry / Oils, Volatile - isolation & purification / Oils, Volatile - pharmacology / oral pathogens / Orthosiphon - chemistry / Orthosiphon stamineus / Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes / Porphyromonas gingivalis - drug effects / Porphyromonas gingivalis - growth & development / Porphyromonas gingivalis - isolation & purification / Sesquiterpenes - chemistry / Sesquiterpenes - isolation & purification / Sesquiterpenes - pharmacology / Streptococcus mitis - drug effects / Streptococcus mitis - growth & development / Streptococcus mitis - isolation & purification / Streptococcus mutans - drug effects / Streptococcus mutans - growth & development / Streptococcus mutans - isolation & purification / Streptococcus salivarius - drug effects / Streptococcus salivarius - growth & development / Streptococcus salivarius - isolation & purification