ANTIMICROBIAL AND SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OILS FACING ISOLATED BACTERIA FROM SURGICAL STAFF’S

Objective: to evaluate antimicrobial and synergistic activity of essential oils ( Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus sinensis, Mentha viridis and  Thymus vulgaris ) against isolated bacteria from surgical staff’s hands and bacterial strains.  Method: the antimicrobial activity of oils was analyzed by microdilution method to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration. Moreover, the combinatory effect of the oil that presented greater effectiveness using gentamycin sulphate through the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration index was tested. The study was performed over the period 2016-2018.  Results: T. vulgaris  was effective against  Staphylococcus saprophyticus  with a concentration of 0.0008 µL.mL -1 and against the ATCC standard strains of  Staphylococcus aureus ,  Salmonella choleraesuis, Staphylococcus epidermidis  and  Proteus vulgaris and the bacteria  S. aureus ,  S. epidermidis and  Bacillus sp . with MIC ≥ 0.10 µL.mL -1 . This oil association with gentamycin sulphate showed synergistic activity against S. epidermidis.  Conclusion: T. vulgaris essential oil showed expressive antimicrobial activity against ATCC and isolated clinic microorganisms, suggesting broad spectrum of activity.