Chemical composition, antimicrobial and antibiotic potentiating activity of essential oils from 10 tropical medicinal plants from Mauritius

• Essential oils (EOs) from 10 tropical medicinal plants were extracted by hydrodistillation.
• Eighteen microorganisms were used to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of the EOs as well as their ability to potentiate conventional antibiotics.
• EOs showed potent bactericidal, fungicidal and antibiotic potentiating activity.
• Twenty eight major compounds were identified using GC–MS composed of monoterpenes hydrocarbons.
• Studied EOs may be exploited as complementary and alternative therapies against infectious diseases.

Infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance have become a public health issue of increasing magnitude. The discovery and development of new antimicrobial agents from herbal medicine to address this problem has attracted much attention and should be given high priority. This study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of essential oils (EOs) extracted from 10 common medicinal plants of Mauritius. Eighteen microorganisms (bacterial and fungal isolates) were used to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of the EOs as well as their ability to potentiate conventional antibiotics. The phytochemical profile was established using Gas chromatography–Mass spectrometry method. Antibacterial activities were recorded with low minimal inhibitory concentration for 4 of the EOs using the microbroth dilution assay. A synergistic effect of the EO of Citrus hystrix D.C., Citrus reticulate (Blanco) and Melaleuca quinquenervia S.T. Blake (Cav.) were observed against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 12228) when combined with gentamicin. Fungicidal and fungistatic effects of the EOs were observed among all the fungi irrespective of the family except for Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Twenty eight major compounds were identified and predominantly composed of monoterpene hydrocarbons at a dose-content ranging from 0.68 to 88.58%. This study has provided key information on the antimicrobial property and phytochemical composition of some tropical medicinal plants. Hence, EOs studied in the present investigation may be considered as potential medicinal candidates that could be exploited as complementary and alternative therapies for the treatment and management of infectious diseases.

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