In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from Cymbopogan against Cutibacterium acnes

Abstract

Acne is a chronic, common disease that poses a significant therapeutic, psychological and social problem. Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium generally considered as a human skin commensal, but is also involved in different infections, such as acne and surgical infections. Although there are a variety of treatments, the side effects and the problem of bacterial drug resistance still limit their clinical usage.The study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of essential oils (EOs) against Cutibacterium acnes and to analyze the chemical compositions of the effective oils. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with duplications. The EOs obtained from Cymbopogan citratus and Cymbopogan nardus (Lemon grass) by hydro-distillation process, cultivated in North eastern Indian State Assam were tested for antibacterial activity using an agar well diffusion assay and the macro-dilution method.The results showed that both species essential oil distilled from hrdro-distillation method had the highest potent inhibitory zone on C. acnes, according to the findings. As a bactericidal, essential oil of both species of Cymbopogan citratus and Cymbopogan nardus had MIC and MBC values of 0.47 and 0.69 mg/mL, and even a MIC index (MBC/MIC) of Citral (52.16%),  geranial (30.28%), neral (26.53%), caryophyllene-oxide (4.9%) geraniol (4.1%), linalool (2.6%) and limonene(2.40%) were the major components of lemon grass oil. The results suggest that lemon grass oil might be used to develop topical anti-acne treatments.These observations suggest the potential application of this synergy in the development of innovative topical formulations useful in the management of acne.