title: Effect of eucalyptus essential oil on respiratory bacteria and viruses.
abstract: The activity of Eucalyptus globulus essential oil was determined for 120 isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes, 20 isolates of S. pneumoniae, 40 isolates of S. agalactiae, 20 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 40 isolates of Haemophilus influenzae, 30 isolates of H. parainfluenzae, 10 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 10 isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and two viruses, a strain of adenovirus and a strain of mumps virus, all obtained from clinical specimens of patients with respiratory tract infections. The cytotoxicity was evaluated on VERO cells by the MTT test. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by the Kirby Bauer paper method, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration. H. influenzae, parainfluenzae, and S. maltophilia were the most susceptible, followed by S. pneumoniae. The antiviral activity, assessed by means of virus yield experiments titered by the end-point dilution method for adenovirus, and by plaque reduction assay for mumps virus, disclosed only a mild activity on mumps virus.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze di Sanità Pubblica, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41100, Modena, Italy. c.cermelli@unimo.it
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cermelli
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabio
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fabio
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quaglio
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000506:poisoning / Q000633:toxicity; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D005052:Eucalyptus / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability; D009109:Mumps virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D014709:Vero Cells; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts