THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF SOME ESSENTIAL OILS AND THEIR COMBINATIONS

Abstract

Five essential oils namely: Zanthoxylum datum, Acanthospermum hispidum, Polyalthia longifolia, Blumea eriantha and Viper nigrum were tested for antibacterial properties individually and in their combinations (1:1) against fifteen pathogenic and non–pathogenic microbes. The in vitro filter paper disk method was adopted exclusively for evaluating the inhibitory activity of the samples, employed. The essential oils were found to exhibit significant antibacterial properties. It is, therefore, suggested that these essential oils may be freely incorporated in various types of dermatological medicaments.