Bioactivity of Backhousia citriodora:  Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity

Backhousia citriodora products are used as bushfoods and flavorings and by the aromatherapy industry. The antimicrobial activity of 4 samples of B. citriodora oil, leaf paste, commercial tea (0.2 and 0.02 g/mL), and hydrosol (aqueous distillate) were tested against 13 bacteria and 8 fungi. Little or...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2003-01, Vol.51 (1), p.76-81
Main Authors: Wilkinson, Jenny M, Hipwell, Michael, Ryan, Tracey, Cavanagh, Heather M. A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anti-Bacterial Agents - analysis
Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology
Antifungal Agents - analysis
Antifungal Agents - pharmacology
Backhousia citriodora
Beverages - analysis
Biological and medical sciences
Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium perfringens - drug effects
General pharmacology
Medical sciences
Melaleuca alternifolia
Myrtaceae - chemistry
Oils, Volatile - pharmacology
Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Plant Extracts - pharmacology
Plant Leaves - chemistry
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - drug effects
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects
Tea Tree Oil - pharmacology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Backhousia citriodora products are used as bushfoods and flavorings and by the aromatherapy industry. The antimicrobial activity of 4 samples of B. citriodora oil, leaf paste, commercial tea (0.2 and 0.02 g/mL), and hydrosol (aqueous distillate) were tested against 13 bacteria and 8 fungi. Little or no activity was found to be associated with the leaf tea and hydrosol, respectively. Leaf paste displayed antimicrobial activity against 7 bacteria including Clostridium perfringens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a hospital isolate of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The 4 essential oils were found to be effective antibacterial and antifungal agents; however, variation was apparent between oils that did not correlate with citral content. The antimicrobial activity of B. citriodora essential oils was found to be greater than that of citral alone and often superior to Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil. B. citriodora has significant antimicrobial activity that has potential as an antiseptic or surface disinfectant or for inclusion in foods as a natural antimicrobial agent. Keywords: Backhousia citriodora; essential oil; antimicrobial; citral; lemon myrtle
ISSN:0021-8561
1520-5118
DOI:10.1021/jf0258003