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.
Publication Date: 2023-12-26 PubMed ID: 38250918PubMed Central: PMC10819342DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11010012Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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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
Researcher Affiliations
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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