Comparison of the effects in vitro of tea tree oil and plaunotol on methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus

Hada, T Furuse, S Matsumoto, Y Hamashima, H Masuda, K Shiojima, K Arai, T Sasatsu, M

T. Hada et al., Comparison of the effects in vitro of tea tree oil and plaunotol on methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, MICROBIOS, 106, 2001, pp. 133-141

20

INGLESE

Article

Microbiology

MICROBIOS

0026-2633 → ACNP

106

2001

2

133 - 141

ISI

0026-2633(2001)106:<133:COTEIV>2.0.ZU;2-A

The effects in vitro of tea tree oil (TTO) and plaunotol were examined by m onitoring the growth of a standard strain of Staphylococcus aureus FDA 209P and of fourteen methicillin-susceptible strains of S. aureus (MSSA), toget her with twenty methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA). The minimum inhibitor y concentrations (MIC) and the doses for 50% inhibition of growth (ID50) we re determined by the micro-broth dilution (MD) method, and the broth diluti on with shaking (BDS) method, respectively. The MIC of plaunotol for 50 and 90% of the MSSA and MRSA were assessed by the MID method, as 16 mug/ml and 1,024 mug/ml, respectively. No antibacterial effects of TTO on MSSA and MR SA were detected by the MID method. The growth-inhibitory effects of TTO on S. aureus by the BIDS method were examined, and it appeared that TTO was e ffective over a lower range of concentrations than previously reported. It seems that TTO is very effective in vitro against MSSA and MRSA at high con centrations but less effective below 40 mug/ml of TTO.