Invistagtion of the antibacterial effect of thymol, carvacrol, perillyl alcohol and eugenol

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Thymol, carvacrol and eugenol are compounds extracted from essential oils of various aromatic plants and have been accepted as potential antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effects of new oxypropanolamine compounds with thymol, eugenol and carvacrol added. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The tested standard strains and clinical isolates (S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli, K. pneumoniaee and P. aeruginosa) were obtained from culture collections of Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital Medical Microbiology Laboratory. Chemical agents (thymol, eugenol, s-perillil alcohol and carvacrol-added oxypropanolamine compounds) were obtained from Sakarya University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry. The effects of the four compounds were investigated by microdilution method. RESULTS: The MIC value of eugenol and thymol added oxypropanolamine compounds against standard strains was 0.187 mg/ml for S. aureus and E. faecalis, 0.375 mg/ml for E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa, the MIC value of s-perillil alcohol added compound was 0.375 mg/ml in all standard strains. MIC of carvacrol for K. pneumoniaee, S. aureus and E. faecalis; 3.75 mg/ml and 15 mg/ml for E. coli and P. aeruginosa. In clinical isolates, the four compounds isolates had the same MIC (0.375 mg/ml) against E. coli, K. pneumoniaee and P. aeruginosa. MIC of S-perillil alcohol against S. aureus was 0.046-0.093 mg/ml and 1.07 mg/ml against E. faecalis, MIC value of carvacrol against S. aureus and E. faecalis was 1.875 mg/ml, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In this study, it was determined that thymol, carvacrol, s-perylyl alcohol and eugenol-added oxypropanolamine compounds have antibacterial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. These properties of these agents can be exploited when developing new antibiotics. KEY WORDS: Antimicrobial, Antibiotic susceptibility tests, eugenol, carvacrol, thymol.