Essential oils in ocular pathology: an experimental study

Sara Cannas; Donatella Usai; Antonio Pinna; Stefania Benvenuti; Roberta Tardugno; Matthew Donadu; Stefania Zanetti; Jayaraman Kaliamurthy; Paola Molicotti

doi:10.3855/jidc.6842

Essential oils in ocular pathology: an experimental study

Authors

Sara Cannas University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Donatella Usai University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Antonio Pinna University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Stefania Benvenuti University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
Roberta Tardugno University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
Matthew Donadu University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Stefania Zanetti University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Jayaraman Kaliamurthy Joseph Eye Hospital, Tiruchirapalli, India
Paola Molicotti University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.6842

Keywords:

essential oils, cytotoxicity, bacteria

Abstract

Introduction: The antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) has been known for ages; in particular, the EOs of Melaleuca alternifolia, Thymus vulgaris, Mentha piperita, and Rosmarinus officinalis have been used for the treatment of fungal and bacterial infections.

Methodology: This study focused on the in vitro cytotoxicity to normal human conjunctiva cells and antimicrobial activity of 20 EOs.

Results: The oils tested showed no cytotoxic effect at very low concentrations. Rosmarinus officinalis, Melaleuca alternifolia, and Thymus vulgaris L. red thyme geraniol sel oils had good antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains.

Conclusions: The results of this study are of great interest and may have a major impact on public health, providing useful tips to optimize the therapeutic use of some natural drugs.

Downloads

Published

2015-07-04

How to Cite

Cannas S, Usai D, Pinna A, Benvenuti S, Tardugno R, Donadu M, Zanetti S, Kaliamurthy J, Molicotti P (2015) Essential oils in ocular pathology: an experimental study. J Infect Dev Ctries 9:650–654. doi: 10.3855/jidc.6842

Download Citation

Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 06: June 2015

Section

Original Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).