Investigation of the antibacterial and antifungal effectiveness of tea tree and orange essential oil

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: In this study, it was aimed to observe the antimicrobial activity of tea tree and orange essential oils both separately and in combination of these two oils on different microorganisms in 10-100 % the range of 10 different dilutions intervals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the group of microorganisms, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14048, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633; Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Aspergillus brasiliensis ATCC 16404 was used in our study. In this study, disc diffusion method and liquid medium makrodilution test in bacteria and smear plate method in fungi were used. RESULTS: As a result of the disc diffusion test, zone formation was observed in almost all the dilutions of the tea tree oil on all the bacteria in the dilutions between 10% and 100%. No significant results were found in orange oil and tea tree-orange oil combination. C. albicans and A. brasiliensis were found to have a better antifungal effect at a concentration of 70% and higher in with tea tree essential oils. No antifungall effect in orange oil. The antifungal effect of orange oil and tea tree oil combination has been observed from 60% concentration. In the macrodilion test, MICs of tea tree oil were determined as 0,78% of all studied bacteria. The value of orange oil was found to be 25% in E. coli and 1,562% in S. aureus. Orange and tea tree oli combinations were found to be 0,78% on E. coli, S. typhimurium and S. aureus and MIC on P. aeruginosa was 12,5%. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that tea tree and orange oil have inhibition affect at some microorganizms may cause infection diseses.