title: Antibacterial and antifungal activity of aromatic constituents of essential oils.
abstract: Five aromatic constituents of essential oils (cineole, citral, geraniol, linalool and menthol) were tested for antimicrobial activity against eighteen bacteria (including Gram-positive cocci and rods, and Gram-negative rods) and twelve fungi (three yeast-like and nine filamentous). In terms of antibacterial activity linalool was the most effective and inhibited seventeen bacteria, followed by cineole, geraniol (each of which inhibited sixteen bacteria), menthol and citral aromatic compounds, which inhibited fifteen and fourteen bacteria, respectively. Against fungi the citral and geraniol oils were the most effective (inhibiting all twelve fungi), followed by linalool (inhibiting ten fungi), cineole and menthol (each of which inhibited seven fungi) compounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Regional Medical Research Centre, (ICMR), Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pattnaik
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Subramanyam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bapaji
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Kole
mesh_terms: D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D000077591:Eucalyptol; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects*; D008610:Menthol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D013729:Terpenes; D008610:Menthol; C018584:linalool; C007836:geraniol; D000077591:Eucalyptol; C007076:citral