FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Sci / In Vitro Effect of Eucalyptus Essential Oils and Antiseptics...
Veterinary sciences2023; 11(1); doi: 10.3390/vetsci11010012

In Vitro Effect of Eucalyptus Essential Oils and Antiseptics (Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Povidone-Iodine) against Bacterial Isolates from Equine Wounds.

Abstract: Considering the increasing antibiotics resistance, there has been a propensity to replace them with antiseptics when it comes to wound management and treatment. Nevertheless, in recent years, there have been reports regarding resistance to antiseptics by some bacterial strains. There is also concern about the environmental impact of these substances. The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of antiseptics and eucalyptus essential oils on bacterial strains from horse's wounds. We used twelve Escherichia coli, eight Staphylococcus aureus, two Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, one Staphylococcus vitulinus and one Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains from equine wounds. The effect of Eucalyptus radiata essential oil, Eucalyptus globulus essential oil, povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine gluconate against the isolated strains was evaluated applying the Kirby-Baüer method. Regarding the Escherichia coli strains, E. radiata and the mixture of E. radiata and E. globulus had a better inhibitory effect than antiseptics. E. globulus had a better effect against most Staphylococcus spp. compared to E. radiata. For both Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains tested, chlorhexidine gluconate had a better inhibitory effect than povidone-iodine. The antibacterial efficacy of essential oils highlights their potential to substitute or complement the use of antiseptics and so reduce resistance to antiseptics.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2023-12-26 PubMed ID: 38250918PubMed Central: PMC10819342DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11010012Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study evaluated the effectiveness of eucalyptus essential oils and traditional antiseptics (chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone-iodine) in treating bacterial infections in horse wounds. It indicated that eucalyptus oils might potentially replace or be used alongside traditional antiseptics to manage antibiotic resistance problems.

Study Aims and Methods

  • The primary aim of the research was to measure the antibacterial efficacy of eucalyptus essential oils versus conventional antiseptics for treating bacterial infections in equine wounds.
  • For the study, a variety of bacterial strains sourced from horse wounds were used, namely, twelve Staphylococcus strains, eight Streptococcus strains, two Pseudomonas strains, and one strain each of Bacillus and Enterococcus.
  • The inhibitory effects of two types of eucalyptus essential oil (speculatively, Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus radiata), chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone-iodine were tested against the isolated bacteria.
  • The Kirby-Baüer method, a standard procedure to test antibiotic susceptibility, was applied to carry out the comparative analysis.

Findings and Interpretations

  • Compared to traditional antiseptics, one eucalyptus oil type or a combination of the two had better inhibitory outcomes against Staphylococcus strains.
  • One eucalyptus oil type performed better in limiting most Streptococcus spp., compared to the other.
  • Chlorhexidine gluconate demonstrated stronger inhibition than povidone-iodine for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains.

Implications and Conclusions

  • The results underscore the potential of essential oils, particularly eucalyptus, as alternatives or adjunct to traditional antiseptics. This shows promise for managing the problem of antiseptic resistance.
  • The higher antimicrobial effectiveness of eucalyptus essential oils could be pivotal in wound management, especially in equine treatments, and potentially, in broader veterinary or even human medicine.
  • A switch to or the incorporation of natural products like essential oils in clinical use could also mitigate the ecological impacts of synthetic substances, therein contributing positively to environmental sustainability.

Cite This Article

APA
Pimenta J, Dias C, Cotovio M, Saavedra MJ. (2023). In Vitro Effect of Eucalyptus Essential Oils and Antiseptics (Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Povidone-Iodine) against Bacterial Isolates from Equine Wounds. Vet Sci, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11010012

Publication

Veterinary sciences
ISSN: 2306-7381
NlmUniqueID: 101680127
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 1

Researcher Affiliations

Pimenta, José
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, Antimicrobials, Biocides & Biofilms Unit (A2BUnit), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
  • CECAV-Veterinary and Animal Research Center and Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
  • CIVG-Vasco da Gama Research Center/EUVG-Vasco da Gama University School, 3020-210 Coimbra, Portugal.
Dias, Carla
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, Antimicrobials, Biocides & Biofilms Unit (A2BUnit), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
  • CITAB-Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences and Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
Cotovio, Mário
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, Antimicrobials, Biocides & Biofilms Unit (A2BUnit), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
  • CECAV-Veterinary and Animal Research Center and Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal.
Saavedra, Maria José
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, Antimicrobials, Biocides & Biofilms Unit (A2BUnit), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
  • CECAV-Veterinary and Animal Research Center and Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
  • CITAB-Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences and Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.

Grant Funding

  • UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 (CECAV); LA/P/0059/2020, UIDB/AGR/04033/2020 (CITAB); LA/00037/2022 (Inov4Agro) / Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

This article includes 45 references
  1. World Health Organization and Antimicrobial Resistance. [(accessed on 20 July 2023)]. Available online: https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance.
  2. World Organization for Animal Health-OIE and Antimicrobial Resistance. [(accessed on 20 July 2023)]. Available online: https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/global-initiatives/antimicrobial-resistance/
  3. Ferri M, Ranucci E, Romagnoli P, Giaccone V. Antimicrobial Resistance: A Global Emerging Threat to Public Health Systems. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 2017;57:2857–2876.
    doi: 10.1080/10408398.2015.1077192pubmed: 26464037google scholar: lookup
  4. Palma E, Tilocca B, Roncada P. Antimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Medicine: An Overview. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020;21:1914.
    doi: 10.3390/ijms21061914pmc: PMC7139321pubmed: 32168903google scholar: lookup
  5. Theoret C, Schumacher J. Equine Wound Management. In: Theoret C., Schumacher J., editors. Equine Wound Management. John Wiley and Sons; Hoboken, NJ, USA: 2017. pp. 47–74.
  6. Hanson R.R. Medical Therapy in Equine Wound Management. Vet. Clin. N. Am.-Equine Pract. 2018;34:591–603.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2018.07.008pubmed: 30342803google scholar: lookup
  7. Frees K.E. Equine Practice on Wound Management: Wound Cleansing and Hygiene. Vet. Clin. N. Am.-Equine Pract. 2018;34:473–484.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2018.07.004pubmed: 30447766google scholar: lookup
  8. Westgate S.J, Percival S.L, Knottenbelt D.C, Clegg P.D, Cochrane C.A. Microbiology of Equine Wounds and Evidence of Bacterial Biofilms. Vet. Microbiol. 2011;150:152–159.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.01.003pubmed: 21273008google scholar: lookup
  9. Afonso A.C, Sousa M, Pinto A.R, Cotovio M, Simões M, Saavedra M.J. Biofilm Production by Critical Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens from an Equine Wound. Animals 2023;13:1342.
    doi: 10.3390/ani13081342pmc: PMC10135353pubmed: 37106905google scholar: lookup
  10. Isgren C.M, Williams N.J, Fletcher O.D, Timofte D, Newton R.J, Maddox T.W, Clegg P.D, Pinchbeck G.L. Antimicrobial Resistance in Clinical Bacterial Isolates from Horses in the UK. Equine Vet. J. 2022;54:390–414.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13437pubmed: 33566383google scholar: lookup
  11. Leise B.S. Topical Wound Medications. Vet. Clin. N. Am.-Equine Pract. 2018;34:485–498.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2018.07.006pubmed: 30447767google scholar: lookup
  12. Jørgensen E, Bjarnsholt T, Jacobsen S. Biofilm and Equine Limb Wounds. Animals 2021;11:2825.
    doi: 10.3390/ani11102825pmc: PMC8532864pubmed: 34679846google scholar: lookup
  13. Maillard J.Y, Kampf G, Cooper R. Antimicrobial Stewardship of Antiseptics That Are Pertinent to Wounds: The Need for a United Approach. JAC Antimicrob. Resist. 2021;3:dlab027.
    doi: 10.1093/jacamr/dlab027pmc: PMC8209993pubmed: 34223101google scholar: lookup
  14. Alves P.J, Barreto R.T, Barrois B.M, Gryson L.G, Meaume S, Monstrey S.J. Update on the Role of Antiseptics in the Management of Chronic Wounds with Critical Colonisation and/or Biofilm. Int. Wound J. 2021;18:342–358.
    doi: 10.1111/iwj.13537pmc: PMC8244012pubmed: 33314723google scholar: lookup
  15. Roberts C.D, Leaper D.J, Assadian O. The Role of Topical Antiseptic Agents within Antimicrobial Stewardship Strategies for Prevention and Treatment of Surgical Site and Chronic Open Wound Infection. Adv. Wound Care 2017;6:63–71.
    doi: 10.1089/wound.2016.0701pmc: PMC5286547pubmed: 28224049google scholar: lookup
  16. Bigliardi P.L, Alsagoff S.A.L, El-Kafrawi H.Y, Pyon J.K, Wa C.T.C, Villa M.A. Povidone Iodine in Wound Healing: A Review of Current Concepts and Practices. Int. J. Surg. 2017;44:260–268.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2017.06.073pubmed: 28648795google scholar: lookup
  17. Lachapelle J.M, Castel O, Casado A.F, Leroy B, Micali G, Tennstedt D, Lambert J. Antiseptics in the Era of Bacterial Resistance: A Focus on Povidone Iodine. Clin. Pract. 2013;10:579–592.
    doi: 10.2217/cpr.13.50google scholar: lookup
  18. Williamson D.A, Carter G.P, Howden B.P. Current and Emerging Topical Antibacterials and Antiseptics: Agents, Action, and Resistance Patterns. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 2017;30:827–860.
    doi: 10.1128/CMR.00112-16pmc: PMC5475228pubmed: 28592405google scholar: lookup
  19. Barrigah-Benissan K, Ory J, Sotto A, Salipante F, Lavigne J.P, Loubet P. Antiseptic Agents for Chronic Wounds: A Systematic Review. Antibiotics 2022;11:350.
    doi: 10.3390/antibiotics11030350pmc: PMC8944418pubmed: 35326813google scholar: lookup
  20. Nicodim L, Rapuntean G, Rapuntean S, Chirila F, Nadas G. Antibacterial Effect of Essential Vegetal Extracts on Staphylococcus aureus Compared to Antibiotics. Hort. Agrobot. Cluj. 2009;37:117–123.
  21. Teixeira I.D, Carvalho E, Leal E.C. Green Antimicrobials as Therapeutic Agents for Diabetic Foot Ulcers. Antibiotics 2023;12:467.
    doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12030467pmc: PMC10044531pubmed: 36978333google scholar: lookup
  22. Azzam N.F.A.E.M. Antibacterial Effect of Eucalyptus Essential Oil. Indian J. Sci. Technol. 2020;13:799–804.
    doi: 10.17485/ijst/2020/v13i07/149824google scholar: lookup
  23. Aleksic Sabo V, Knezevic P. Antimicrobial Activity of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn. Plant Extracts and Essential Oils: A Review. Ind. Crops Prod. 2019;132:413–429.
    doi: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.02.051pmc: PMC7126574pubmed: 32288268google scholar: lookup
  24. Apreja M, Sharma A, Balda S, Kataria K, Capalash N, Sharma P. Antibiotic Residues in Environment: Antimicrobial Resistance Development, Ecological Risks, and Bioremediation. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2022;29:3355–3371.
    doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17374-wpubmed: 34773239google scholar: lookup
  25. Luís Â, Duarte A, Gominho J, Domingues F, Duarte A.P. Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Anti-Quorum Sensing Activities of Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus radiata Essential Oils. Ind. Crops Prod. 2016;79:274–282.
    doi: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.10.055google scholar: lookup
  26. Bachir R.G, Benali M. Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oils from the Leaves of Eucalyptus globulus against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Asian Pac. J. Trop. Biomed. 2012;2:739–742.
    doi: 10.1016/S2221-1691(12)60220-2pmc: PMC3609378pubmed: 23570005google scholar: lookup
  27. Müller-Heupt L.K, Vierengel N, Groß J, Opatz T, Deschner J, von Loewenich F.D. Antimicrobial Activity of Eucalyptus globulus, Azadirachta indica, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Rheum palmatum Extracts and Rhein against Porphyromonas gingivalis. Antibiotics 2022;11:186.
    doi: 10.3390/antibiotics11020186pmc: PMC8868162pubmed: 35203789google scholar: lookup
  28. Pereira V, Dias C, Vasconcelos M.C, Rosa E, Saavedra M.J. Antibacterial Activity and Synergistic Effects between Eucalyptus globulus Leaf Residues (Essential Oils and Extracts) and Antibiotics against Several Isolates of Respiratory Tract Infections (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Ind. Crops Prod. 2014;52:1–7.
    doi: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2013.09.032google scholar: lookup
  29. . Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing by a Standardized Single Disk Method. Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 1966;45:493–496.
    doi: 10.1093/ajcp/45.4_ts.493pubmed: 5325707google scholar: lookup
  30. The Jamovi Project. Jamovi (Version 2.3) [Computer Software]. 2023.
  31. Harkins C.P, McAleer M.A, Bennett D, McHugh M, Fleury O.M, Pettigrew K.A, Oravcová K, Parkhill J, Proby C.M, Dawe R.S. The Widespread Use of Topical Antimicrobials Enriches for Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Patients with Atopic Dermatitis. Br. J. Dermatol. 2018;179:951–958.
    doi: 10.1111/bjd.16722pmc: PMC6221151pubmed: 29729180google scholar: lookup
  32. Debebe N, Gelaye A, Fesseha H. Open Wound in Equine and Its Management-Review. CPQ Med. 2020;10:1–12.
  33. Aftab R, Dodhia V.H, Jeanes C, Wade R.G. Bacterial Sensitivity to Chlorhexidine and Povidone-Iodine Antiseptics over Time: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human-Derived Data. Sci. Rep. 2023;13:347.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-26658-1pmc: PMC9825506pubmed: 36611032google scholar: lookup
  34. Mumtaz R, Zubair M, Khan M.A, Muzammil S, Siddique M.H. Extracts of Eucalyptus alba Promote Diabetic Wound Healing by Inhibiting α-Glucosidase and Stimulating Cell Proliferation. Evid.-Based Complement. Altern. Med. 2022;2022:4953105.
    doi: 10.1155/2022/4953105pmc: PMC9033357pubmed: 35463094google scholar: lookup
  35. Mulyaningsih S, Sporer F, Reichling J, Wink M. Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils from Eucalyptus and of Selected Components against Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens. Pharm. Biol. 2011;49:893–899.
    doi: 10.3109/13880209.2011.553625pubmed: 21591991google scholar: lookup
  36. Knezevic P, Aleksic V, Simin N, Svircev E, Petrovic A, Mimica-Dukic N. Antimicrobial Activity of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Essential Oils and Their Interactions with Conventional Antimicrobial Agents against Multi-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2016;178:125–136.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.12.008pubmed: 26671210google scholar: lookup
  37. Horvathova E, Navarova J, Galova E, Sevcovicova A, Chodakova L, Snahnicanova Z, Melusova M, Kozics K, Slamenova D. Assessment of Antioxidative, Chelating, and DNA-Protective Effects of Selected Essential Oil Components (Eugenol, Carvacrol, Thymol, Borneol, Eucalyptol) of Plants and Intact Rosmarinus Officinalis Oil. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2014;62:6632–6639.
    doi: 10.1021/jf501006ypubmed: 24955655google scholar: lookup
  38. Goldbeck J.C, do Nascimento J.E, Jacob R.G, Fiorentini Â.M, da Silva W.P. Bioactivity of Essential Oils from Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus urograndis against Planktonic Cells and Biofilms of Streptococcus mutans. Ind. Crops Prod. 2014;60:304–309.
    doi: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2014.05.030google scholar: lookup
  39. Karbach J, Ebenezer S, Warnke P, Behrens E, Al-Nawas B. Antimicrobial Effect of Australian Antibacterial Essential Oils as Alternative to Common Antiseptic Solutions against Clinically Relevant Oral Pathogens. Clin. Lab. 2015;61:61–68.
    doi: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2014.140714pubmed: 25807639google scholar: lookup
  40. Williams J, Lane S, Harniman S. An In Vitro Investigation into the Efficacies of Chlorhexidine Gluconate, Povidone Iodine and Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) to Prevent Surgical Site Infection in Animals. Vet. Nurse. 2016;7:485–492.
    doi: 10.12968/vetn.2016.7.8.485google scholar: lookup
  41. Rafferty R, Robinson V.H, Harris J, Argyle S.A, Nuttall T.J. A Pilot Study of the In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity and In Vivo Residual Activity of Chlorhexidine and Acetic Acid/Boric Acid Impregnated Cleansing Wipes. BMC Vet. Res. 2019;15:382.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-019-2098-zpmc: PMC6820967pubmed: 31666075google scholar: lookup
  42. Thongrueang N, Liu S.S, Hsu H.Y, Lee H.H. An In Vitro Comparison of Antimicrobial Efficacy and Cytotoxicity between Povidone iodine and Chlorhexidine for Treating Clinical Endometritis in Dairy Cows. PLoS ONE 2022;17:e0271274.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271274pmc: PMC9269917pubmed: 35802692google scholar: lookup
  43. McLure A, Gordon J. In Vitro Evaluation of Povidone-Iodine and Chlorhexidine against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J. Hosp. Infect. 1992;21:291–299.
    doi: 10.1016/0195-6701(92)90139-Dpubmed: 1355784google scholar: lookup
  44. Wang W, Weng Y, Luo T, Wang Q, Yang G, Jin Y. Antimicrobial and the Resistances in the Environment: Ecological and Health Risks, Influencing Factors, and Mitigation Strategies. Toxics 2023;11:185.
    doi: 10.3390/toxics11020185pmc: PMC9965714pubmed: 36851059google scholar: lookup
  45. Basiry D, Heravi N, Uluseker C, Kaster K, Kommedal R, Ozkok P. The Effect of Disinfectants and Antiseptics on Co- and Cross-Selection of Resistance to Antibiotics in Aquatic Environments and Wastewater Treatment Plants. Front. Microbiol. 2022;13:1050558.
    doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1050558pmc: PMC9793094pubmed: 36583052google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,359 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.