Determinação da atividade antimicrobiana do óleo essencial e extratos de aroeira vermelha (Schinus molle)

Abstract

Schinus molle is a specie native from South America, belonging to the family Anacardiaceae and popularly known as aroeira, and is reported to have antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, healing and antimicrobial properties. Considering the increasing number of infections caused by bacteria and the search in the vegetal area of new active principles for the production of phytotherapeutic drugs, this study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of essential oil, leaf extracts and S. molle against strains of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC and Bacillus cereus ATCC. For this purpose, the survival of the microorganisms when exposed to the essential oil, leaf and fruit extracts of S. molle were evaluated by means of the minimum inhibitory concentration and Time-Kill assay. However, the compounds did not present antimicrobial activity against the bacteria evaluated in this study. Thus, further testing is required to assess the potential synergistic effect of these compounds in combination with antimicrobials, as well as to evaluate these compounds against other bacteria, such as Gram- negative bacteria.