•  
  •  
 

Abstract

This study investigated the chemical composition and antibacterial activities of lime Citrus aurantifolia (Cc) and lemon grass Cymbopogon citratus (Ca) essential oils (EOs). Standard methods were used to determine their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC), and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to determine their composition. Each EO and their combination showed promising results in treating test bacterial infections. Cc EO showed the largest inhibition zone diameter (43 mm) against Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens, and Ca EO showed the largest (30 mm) and smallest (12 mm) inhibition zone diameters against Bacillus stearothermophilus and S. marcescens, respectively. The combination of Cc EO and Ca EO (1:1) resulted in the largest (45 mm) and smallest (8 mm) inhibition zone diameters against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhimurium, respectively. The MIC of Cc EO ranged from 0.78% to 6.25%, and its MBC ranged from 3.13% to 12.50%. The MIC and MBC of combined Cc EO and Ca EO ranged from 0.78% to 6.25% and from 1.56% to 12.5%, respectively. The major components of Cc EO and Ca EO were neral (44.98%) and D-limonene (56.02%). Overall, the combination of lime and lemon grass EOs performed well compared to streptomycin, making them suitable for treating test bacterial infections.

Included in

Microbiology Commons

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.