Antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Juniperus phoenicea from North Western Algeria

Abstract

Juniperus phoenicea (Family: Cupressaceae) is an evergreen tree widely distributed in North Africa including Algeria. The aim of this investigation was to analyse the antimicrobial potential of essential oils from J. phoenicea on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Streptococcus sp, Bacillus sp and Candida albicans using wells and discs diffusion methods. Broth dilution method was utilized to study the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC). The results showed a variable degree of antimicrobial activity. The diameters of inhibition zones for all test organisms were in the ranges of 7-21 mm, while MIC was from 62.5 to >500µl/ml and MBC from 250 to >500µl/ml. The highest antimicrobial activities were observed against Gram positive bacteria followed by Gram negative ones then Candida albicans. The findings provide the evidence that J. phoenicea as a good medicinal plant for further investigations.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Efficiency of Essential Oils from Algerian Juniperus phoenicea L. Against Some Pathogenic Bacteria

“…These components have been reported to display antimicrobial effects. 28,33,36,37 These results are in support of the observations made by Raho et al, 38 who found that the zones of inhibition of E. coli and S. aureus were 16 and 19 mm, respectively. This activity is probably due to the ability of J. phoenicea components of the EOs to complex with both the extracellular proteins and bacterial cell walls.…”

“…They may also disrupt microbial membranes. 38 Similarly, Angioni et al, 39 also reported that EOs from the leaves of J. phoenicea exhibited weak activity against S. aureus and there was no activity against E. coli or P. aeruginosa. Several studies have reported that the behavior of EOs and antimicrobials can be severely modified under the presence of solvents or influence of factors such as pH, the ability of the antibacterial compound to diffuse uniformly through the agar, the volume of EO placed on the paper disks, or thickness of the agar layer.…”