The antibacterial and antifungal activity of essential oils extracted from Guatemalan medicinal plants

Figures & data

Table 1. Species, family, common name, tissue type, and mean oil yield per species for Guatemalan medicinal plants extracted by steam distillation.

Species	Family	Common name	Tissue type	Oil yield ( % w/w)
Achillea millefolium L.	Asteraceae	Milenrama	Aerial portion	0.12
Anacardium occidentale L.	Anacardiaceae	Marañon	Leaf	0.01
Anethum graveolens L.	Apiaceae	Hinojo	Aerial portion	0.14
Anthemis oppositifolia Lam.^a	Asteraceae	Ixmaramac	Aerial portion	0.09
Arnica montana L.^a	Asteraceae	Árnica	Aerial portion	0.07
Baccharis latifolia (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers.	Asteraceae	Conrrobo negro	Aerial portion	0.07
Baccharis trinervis Pers.	Asteraceae	Corrimiento	Aerial portion	0.11
Bixa orellana L.	Bixaceae	Achiote	Seed and pod	0.03
Buddleja americana L.^a	Scrophulariaceae	Salvia santa	Leaf	0.20
Buddleja davidii Franch.	Scrophulariaceae	Hoja de lanza	Aerial portion	0.07
Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg.	Burseraceae	Palo de jiote	Leaf	0.02
Casimiroa edulis La Llave	Rutaceae	Matasano	Leaf	0.02
Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume	Lauraceae	Canela	Leaf	0.92
Cissus verticillata (L.) Nicolson & C.E. Jarvis^a	Vitaceae	Tabardillo	Aerial portion	0.03
Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle	Rutaceae	Limón criollo	Leaf	0.40
Citrus aurantium L.	Rutaceae	Naranja	Leaf	0.06
Citrus limetta Risso	Rutaceae	Lima	Leaf	0.10
Clematis dioica L.^a	Ranunculaceae	Bejuco de cancer	Aerial portion	<0.01
Cupressus lusitanica Mill.	Cupressaceae	Ciprés	Leaf	0.26
Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf.	Poaceae	Té limón	Leaf	0.03
Elephantopus spicatus (Juss. ex Aubl.^a	Asteraceae	Oreja de coche	Aerial portion	0.03
Eucalyptus globulus Labill.	Myrtaceae	Eucalipto	Leaf	0.46
Eupatorium semialatum Benth.	Asteraceae	Venadillo	Aerial portion	0.04
Fleischmannia pycnocephala (Less.) R.M. King & H. Rob^b	Asteraceae	Violeta	Aerial portion	0.04
Ilex aquifolium L.	Aquifoliaceae	Trueno	Leaf	0.02
Ixora coccinea^a	Rubiaceae	Coralillo	Leaf	0.03
Lantana camara L.	Verbenaceae	Cinco negritos	Aerial portion	0.05
Lippia dulcis Trev.	Verbenaceae	Hierba dulce	Aerial portion	0.09
Lippia graveolens Kunth	Verbenaceae	Oregano	Leaf	0.47
Liquidambar styraciflua L.	Hamamelidaceae	Liquidambar	Leaf	0.02
Litsea guatemalensis Mez	Lauraceae	Laurel	Leaf	0.20
Mangifera indica L.	Anacardiaceae	Mango	Leaf	0.02
Mentha piperita L.	Lamiaceae	Menthol piperita	Aerial portion	0.93
Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack	Rutaceae	Limonaria	Leaf	0.05
Neurolaena lobata (L.) Cass.	Asteraceae	Tres puntas	Leaf	0.05
Ocimum basilicum L.	Lamiaceae	Albahaca	Aerial portion	0.45
Ocimum micranthum Willd.	Lamiaceae	Albahaca	Aerial portion	0.15
Origanum vulgare L.	Lamiaceae	Oregano de castillo	Leaf	1.05
Persea americana Mill.	Lauraceae	Aguacate	Leaf	0.03
Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.	Myrtaceae	Pimienta	Leaf	0.26
Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl.^a	Pinaceae	Pino	Leaf	0.09
Piper auritum Kunth	Piperaceae	Santa Maria	Leaf	0.33
Pluchea odorata (L.) Cass.	Asteraceae	Siguapate	Leaf	0.03
Psidium guajava L.	Myrtaceae	Guayabo	Leaf	0.13
Rhus terebinthifolia Schltdl. & Cham.^a	Anacardiaceae	Sal de vanado	Leaf	0.03
Rosmarinus officinalis L.	Lamiaceae	Romero	Leaf	0.14
Ruta chalepensis L.	Rutaceae	Ruda	Aerial portion	0.05
Spondias purpurea L.	Anacardiaceae	Jocote	Leaf	0.01
Stevia connata Lag.	Asteraceae	Guapillo	Root	0.08
Stigmaphyllon ellipticum A. Juss.^a	Malpighiaceae	Contra hierba	Leaf	<0.01
Tagetes erecta L.	Asteraceae	Flor de muerto	Aerial portion	0.02
Tagetes filifolia Lag.	Asteraceae	Anís de monte	Aerial portion	0.51
Tagetes lucida Cav.	Asteraceae	Pericón	Aerial portion	0.24
Teloxys ambrosioides (L.) W.A. Weber	Chenopodiaceae	Apasote	Aerial portion	0.04
Thymus vulgaris L.	Lamiaceae	Tomillo	Aerial portion	0.02
Verbena litoralis Kunth^a	Verbenaceae	Verbena	Aerial portion	0.02
Vernonia leiocarpa DC.^a	Asteraceae	Suquenay	Leaf	0.11
Vetiveria zizanioides Nash^b	Poaceae	Vetiver grass	Root	0.03
Zingiber officinale Roscoe	Zingiberaceae	Jengibre	Rhizome	0.03

^aSpecies not previously reported to have essential oil.

^bVillagers referred to F. pycnocephala as Violeta and V. zizanioides as Valeriana.

Table 2. MIC (µl/ml)^a and MIC range data (parentheses) for essential oil extracts from Guatemalan medicinal plants tested for activity against microbial taxa.

	MIC (range)
Species	E. coli	S. aureus	S. mutans	L. acidophilus	C. albicans
Achillea millefolium	–^b	–	1.46 (0.63–2.50)	3.75 (1.25–5.00)	2.50 (2.50)
Anacardium occidentale	–
Anethum graveolens	–	–	2.50 (2.50)	5.00 (5.00)	0.63 (0.63)
Arnica montana	–	–	2.71 (0.63–5.00)	–	–
Baccharis latifolia	–	–	0.94 (0.31–1.25)		–
Baccharis trinervis		–	AO^c
Bixa orellana	–	–	0.31 (0.31)	–	–
Buddleja americana	–	–	0.63 (0.63)	–	–
Cinnamomum zeylanicum	0.83 (0.6–1.25)	1.04 (0.63–1.25)	0.31 (0.31)	1.46 (0.63–2.50)	0.63 (0.31–1.25)
Cissus verticillata	–	–	0.31 (0.31)	–	–
Citrus aurantiifolia	2.50 (1.25–5.00)	0.42 (0.31–0.63)	0.63 (0.63)	1.25 (1.25)	0.31 (0.31)
Citrus aurantium	–	2.92 (1.25–5.00)	2.92 (1.25 –5.00)		0.42 (0.31 – 0.63)
Citrus limetta	–	3.33 (2.50 – 5.00)	1.67 (1.25 – 2.50)	4.16 (2.50 – 5.00)	0.42 (0.31–0.63)
Cupressus lusitanica	–	–	0.42 (0.31–0.63)	1.25 (1.25)	–
Cymbopogon citratus	AO	0.63 (0.31–1.25)	AO	AO	AO
Eucalyptus globulus	–	5.00 (5.00)	2.50 (2.50)	1.25 (1.25)	5.00 (5.00)
Eupatorium semialatum	–	–	AO
Fleischmannia pycnocephala		–	0.31 (0.31)		–
Ilex aquifolium			0.42 (0.31–0.63)
Lippia dulcis			AO	–
Lippia graveolens	0.31 (0.31)	0.31 (0.31)	0.31 (0.31)	0.83 (0.63–1.25)	0.31 (0.31)
Litsea guatemalensis	–	–	0.31 (0.31)	2.08 (1.25–2.50)	–
Mangifera indica	–
Mentha piperita	1.25 (1.25)	1.04 (0.63–1.25)	0.42 (0.31–0.63)	1.67 (1.25–2.50)	1.04 (0.63–1.25)
Murraya paniculata		–	AO
Neurolaena lobata	–
Ocimum basilicum	–	–	–	–	–
Ocimum micranthum	–	–	0.42 (0.31–0.63)	2.92 (1.25–5.00)
Origanum vulgare	0.31 (0.31)	0.31 (0.31)	0.31 (0.31)	1.04 (0.63–1.25)	0.31 (0.31)
Persea americana			–	–
Pimenta dioica			0.42 (0.31–0.63)	0.83 (0.63–1.25)
Pinus oocarpa	–	–	0.52 (0.31–0.63)	1.04 (0.63–1.25)	–
Piper auritum	–	–	2.08 (1.25–2.50)	2.08 (1.25–2.50)	0.83 (0.63–1.25)
Pluchea odorata	–	–	0.31 (0.31)
Psidium guajava	–	–	0.42 (0.31–0.63)	–	–
Rosmarinus officinalis	–	–	0.52 (0.31–0.63)	2.08 (1.25–2.50)	–
Ruta chalepensis	–	–	2.50 (2.50)	2.08 (1.25–2.50)	0.31 (0.31)
Stevia connata	–
Tagetes erecta		–	AO
Tagetes filifolia	0.52 (0.31–0.63)	–	1.04 (0.63–1.25)	–	0.52 (0.31–0.63)
Tagetes lucida	0.31 (0.31)	4.17 (2.50–5.00)
Teloxys ambrosioides	–	–	–	–	0.63 (0.63)
Verbena litoralis	–	–
Vernonia leiocarpa		–
Vetiveria zizanioides			0.42 (0.31–0.63)
Gentamycin	2.50 (2.50)	0.83 (0.63–1.25)	0.83 (1.25–2.50)	3.33 (2.50–5.00)
Nyastatin					2.50 (2.50)

^aBlank spaces indicate insufficient oil to carry out the bioassay.

^bIndicates oil not active at any concentration.

^cAO is activity observed but insufficient oil for three replicates. AO designation not used in the Results section or in calculations in Table 3.

Table 3. Family distribution of Guatemalan medicinal plant species containing essential oils, number and percent of species producing a MIC (µl/ml) against a microbe, and number of species with a MIC of 0.31 µl/ml.

Family	No. spp. producing oil	No. (%) spp. yielding MIC^a	No. (%) spp. with MIC of 0.31^a
Anacardiaceae	4
Apiaceae	1	1 (100)
Aquifoliaceae	1	1 (100)
Asteraceae	15	7 (47)	3 (20)
Bixaceae	1	1 (100)	1 (100)
Burseraceae	1
Chenopodiaceae	1	1 (100)
Cupressaceae	1	1 (100)
Hamamelidaceae	1
Lamiaceae	6	4 (67)	1 (14)
Lauraceae	3	2 (67)	2 (67)
Malpighiaceae	1
Myrtaceae	3	3 (100)
Pinaceae	1	1 (100)
Piperaceae	1	1 (100)
Poaceae	2	2 (100)
Ranunculaceae	1
Rubiaceae	1
Rutaceae	6	4 (67)	2 (33)
Scrophulariaceae	2	1 (50)
Verbenaceae	4	1 (20)	1 (20)
Vitaceae	1	1 (100)	1 (100)
Zingiberaceae	1

^aBlank spaces indicate either no activity and/or insufficient oil to carry out a bioassay.

^bData from Table 2 indicates that an MIC of 0.31 was recorded in all three replicates.