Antibacterial evaluation of some indigenous medicinal volatile oils

Thein vitro antibacterial property of six essential oils namely:Piper cubeba, Acorus calamus, Litsea chinensis, Colubrina asiatica, Hyptis suaveolens andBlumea laciniata was carried out using the filter paper disk method. The oils and oil combinations (1:1) were screened against fifteen pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteriae. The essential oil ofB. laciniata showed maximum activity againstC. diphtheriae, V. cholerae, B. subtilis andS. aureus andP. cubeba againstS. faecalis, B. pumilus andP. solanacearum. The combinations ofL. chinensis withP. cubeba andC. asiatica displayed the maximum inhibitory response and the rest failed to show any synergistic or potentiating effect.The striking feature in most of the aromatic plants enlisted in the indigenous system of medicine is attributed to their essential oil contents in them which exert their marked therapeutic potency. In general, these essential oils containing terpenes and other unsaturated compounds are solely responsible for inhibiting the growth of a number of pathogenic microbes. Since ages the crude herbal extracts of these aromatic plants are in use as baths and local applicants for curing infectious diseases. The large volume of work accumulated so far, obviously justifies the importance of medicinal activity of the aromatic plants; the antimicrobial activity being credited to their essential oil fraction only.Studies of Lucas (1–3), Gottshall (4–6) and Frisbey (7, 8) are typical surveys of plants for their antimicrobial property. The studies made by above said workers led to the isolation of many active principles (9, 10, 11).The present investigations deal with the antibacterial activity exhibited by the essential oils ofPiper cubeba Linn. (Piperaceae);Acorus calamus Linn.(Azaceae): Litsea chinensis Lam.(Lauraceae); Colubrina asiatica Brongn.(Rhamnaceae); Hyptis suaveolens Poit.(Labiatae); Blumea laciniata D.C.(Compositae) and their combinations in the ratio (1:1).

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Zusammenfassung Die in vitro antibakterielle Wirkung von sechs ätherischen Ölen wurde mittels der Filtrierpapierscheiben-Methode geprüft:Piper cubeba L.,Acorus calamus L.,Litsea chinensis Lam.,Colubrina asiatica Brongn.,Hyptis suaveolens Poit. undBlumea laciniata DC.. Die ätherischen Öle und Öl-Gemische (1:1) wurden gegen fünfzehn pathogene und nichtpathogene Bakterien getestet.Das ätherische Öl vonBlumea laciniata zeigte maximale Wirksamkeit gegenC. diphtheriae, V. cholerae, B. subtilis undS. aureus; das ätherische Öl vonPiper cubeba ergab maximale Wirksamkeit gegenS. faecalis, B. pumilus undP. solanacearum. Die Gemische der ätherischen Öle vonLitsea chinensis mitPiper cubeba und mitColubrina asiatica übten die stärkste Hemmung aus. Die übrigen Gemische zeigten weder synergistische noch verstärkte Wirkung.