Evaluation of the synergistic antibacterial effect of the combination of essential oils of Lippia origanoides, Cymbopogon citratus, Copaifera officinalis and Ocimum gratissimum with aminoglycoside antibiotics on Staphylococcus aureus

• Grant number: 25/02209-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmacognosy
• Principal Investigator: Daiane Cristina Sass
• Grantee: Anna Luisa Rodrigues Martins
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In recent years, bacterial resistance has become a major global problem, especially in the hospital setting, where infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, for example, represent a clinical challenge. With the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the lack of new antibiotics being launched on the market, alternative strategies need to be found to address this problem. One possible solution is to combine existing antibiotics with phytochemicals, for example, essential oils to increase the efficacy of antibiotics. Essential oils, rich in bioactive compounds, emerge as promising candidates due to their proven antimicrobial properties. The essential oils of Lippia origanoides, Cymbopogon citratus, Copaifera officinalis, Ocimum gratissimum have antibacterial action against Staphylococcus aureus, however, there are no reports in the literature of the synergistic antimicrobial effect of the combined use of these oils with commercial antibiotics in Staphylococcus aureus, especially aminoglycoside antibiotics, which are broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat S. aureus infections. Thus, this project aims to evaluate the synergistic antibacterial effect in the combination of essential oils of Rosemary (Lippia origanoides), Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), Copaiba (Copaifera officinalis) and Clove Basil (Ocimum gratissimum) with aminoglycoside antibiotics (kanamycin, streptomycin, gentamicin) in Staphylococcus aureus.