Microbiological justification of the advisability of using essential oils of medicinal plants in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract

Abstract

Introduction. The role of the respiratory tract microflora violations as an etiological and pathogenetic factor in the development of the inflammative upper respiratory tract disease is indisputable, and the importance of persistence factors of respiratory opportunistic microorganisms (URT) is high. The traditional use of antibiotics and antimycotic agents in the pathology of URT has failed due to a significant increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms and the development of a number of undesirable adverse reactions in patients. An alternative advantage in these conditions is belonged to herbal preparations.Aim. To conduct a comparative in vitro study of antibacterial and antifungal activities of the plant essential oils as a component of the Dyshi Oil composition and the Dyshi Oil composition itself against opportunistic microorganisms - causative agents of inflammatory upper airway diseases.Materials and methods. Essential oils of clove, juniper, peppermint, eucalyptus, as well as the composition of oils “Dyshi” were used in the work. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Klebsiella pneumoniae ICIS-278, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Candida albicans ATCC 24433 bacterial cultures were used as test cultures. Staphylococcus epidermidis 25 strain, isolated from a conditionally healthy person, was chosen as a representative of the URT normobiota. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils was determined by the method of diffusion in nutrient agar, MIC - by the method of serial dilutions.Results. The presence of zones of pronounced growth retardation of Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas, as well as yeast-like fungi was established when exposed to the composition of “Dyshi” oils, while separately used oils did not have a visible effect on the growth of bacteria and fungi, which indicates a synergistic interaction of the drug oils components.Conclusion. The presence of a synergistic antimicrobial effect of the “Dyshi” oil composition against opportunistic bacteria and yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida has been proven. The absence of an inhibitory effect on the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis, which is a representative of the upper respiratory tract normobiota indicates a possible selective effect of “Dyshi” oil aimed at maintaining the colonization resistance of the URT biotope.