Chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of Cymbopogon citratus essential oils against reference strains and pathogens isolated from vaginal and urinary samples

• Published in: Journal of biologically active products from nature 2024-09, Vol.14 (5), p.511-521
• Main Authors: Laassami, Affaf, Chelghoum, Hayet, Chebrouk, Farid, Chemame, Farah, Boutebal, Hanane, Bouras, Noureddine, Aboumustapha, Mohamed, Hamidi, Moufida
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acinetobacter baumannii; antibacterial properties; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial potential; Candida albicans; chemical composition; citronellal; citronellol; Cymbopogon citratus; disk diffusion antimicrobial test; Enterococcus faecalis; Escherichia coli; essential oils; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; GCMS analysis; geraniol; Klebsiella pneumoniae; limonene; mortality; pathogen strains; pathogens; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; species; Staphylococcus aureus; therapeutics; toxicity; urinary tract; urine; vapors; yeasts
• ISSN: 2231-1866; 2231-1874; 2231-1874
• DOI: 10.1080/22311866.2024.2437021

Infectious diseases and the rising levels of antibiotic resistance represent a critical challenge in modern medical care, contributing significantly to global mortality. Considering these critical issues, it is imperative to pursue research into natural plant-derived compounds that are more effective and less toxic, offering potential alternative therapeutic solutions. The current study aims to characterize Cymbopogon citratus essential oils (EOs) and evaluates their potential to control pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The chemical composition of Cymbopogon citratus essential oils (EOs) was analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis identified 57 compounds, with a significant presence of citronellal (32.45%), geraniol (21.03%), citronellol (12.53%), and D-limonene (4.15%), all classified as monoterpenes. Pathogenic microorganisms were isolated from urine and vaginal samples, identified based on morphological and biochemical characteristics, and subjected to antibiogram analysis using the disk diffusion method. Twelve uropathogen isolates were related to Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis species. Additionally, five vaginal isolates were identified as C. albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Acinetobacter baumannii. These strains exhibited varying levels of antibiotic resistance. The antimicrobial activity of C. citratus EOs was subsequently evaluated in vitro against both isolated and reference pathogen strains using disc and vapor diffusion assays, with varying EOs volumes. The EOs completely inhibited the growth of all tested filamentous fungi, as well as the isolated yeast strain of Candida albicans, at a volume of 10 μl/disc in both methods. In terms of antibacterial activity, the largest inhibition zones, ranging from 25 ± 3 mm to 90 mm, were observed against Staphylococcus aureus strains in both methods. These findings underscore the significant in vitro efficacy of C. citratus EOs in inhibiting the bacterial and fungal pathogens associated with the urinary tract and vaginal infections, highlighting its potential as an alternative therapeutic agent.