Antibacterial and antifungal activity of aromatic constituents of essential oils
Pattnaik, S.; Subramanyam, V.R.; Bapaji, M.; Kole, C.R.
Microbios 89(358): 39-46
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-2633 PMID: 9218354 Document Number: 470166
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.