Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Some Components of the Essential Oils of Plants Used in the Traditional Medicine of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Puebla, México

Research on the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley reveals that essential oils from medicinal plants used in traditional medicine contain antimicrobial compounds like eugenol and carvacrol. These compounds exhibit strong antibacterial and fungicidal effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as certain yeasts. Eugenol, carvacrol, and thymol demonstrated the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and bactericidal activity at MIC levels for specific strains, including S. aureus, E. coli, and C. albicans. The study used Kirby-Baüer agar diffusion and agar dilution methods to assess antimicrobial efficacy, highlighting the potential of these plant-derived compounds as natural alternatives in medicine.

Candelaria-Dueñas, S., Serrano-Parrales, R., Ávila-Romero, M., Meraz-Martínez, S., Orozco-Martínez, J., Ávila-Acevedo, J. G., García-Bores, A. M., Cespedes-Acuña, C. L., Peñalosa-Castro, I., & Hernandez-Delgado, T. (2021). Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Some Components of the Essential Oils of Plants Used in the Traditional Medicine of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Puebla, México. Antibiotics, 10(3), 295. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10030295