The Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil from Perovskia abrotanoides Karel and its Main Components

In Iranian folk medicine, Perovskia abrotanoides is used for treatment of leishmaniasis. These patients may develop secondary infections with opportunistic microorganisms. Therefore, the antimicrobial activity of essential oil from aerial part of P. abrotanoides and its main components was evaluated against different microorganisms. Disc diffusion and broth micro dilution assays were used for in vitro antimicrobial screening. The antibacterial activity of this oil and main components on viability of S. aureus was determined. The oil showed antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and Gram positive bacteria especially Staphylococcus aureus with zone inhibitions and minimal inhibitory concentration values in the range of 7.6 to 29 mm and 2 to 8 mul/ml respectively, whereas the least susceptible were Aspergillus niger and Gram negative bacteria. In viability test, the results showed that the antimicrobial activity of 1,8-cineole was more than that of alpha-pinene and camphor but after 60 min this effect gradually decreased only for 1,8-cineole and ultimately the antibacterial activity of camphor was more than that of alpha-pinene. 1,8-cineole had weak antimicrobial activity against all of the tested microorganisms. Hence the use of P. abrotanoides oil could be useful in fighting secondary infections in leishmaniasis especially against S. aureus.