ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF CINNAMON BARK OIL AGAINST URINARY TRACT INFECTION ASSOCIATED PATHOGENS

Sara Abdeljalil Zeenelabdeen*, Samah Awad AbduRahim and Naser Eldin Bilal Mohammed 

ABSTRACT

Background: The aim of the present study is to determine the antimicrobial activity of cinnamon bark essential oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) against urinary tract infection (UTI) associated pathogens. Methodology: The antimicrobial activity of cinnamon essential oil was screened using disc diffusion method against four standard control bacteria, one Gram positive bacterium (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212), three Gram negative control bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853) and 37 clinical isolates from previousely mentioned bacterial species along with Proteus mirabilis . The antifungal activity was investigated against one standard control fungus (Candida albicans ATCC 7596 and 7 clinical isolates). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by tube dilution method using concentrations ranging from 0.625% to 0.019% for bacteria, and from 1% to 0.015% for Candida albicans, and then MBCs were calculated for bacterial pathogens by subsequent sub-culturing of MICs on Mueller Hinton agar. Results: Cinnamon bark essential oil exhibited promising inhibitory activity against all pathogens tested. MICs ranged from 0.125% to 0.312%, MBC for Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae was 0.312%, and 0.156% for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All (100%) clinical bacterial isolates were susceptible to cinnamon essential oil, which exhibited antibacterial potential better than that demonstrated by ciprofloxacin and vancomycin which were used as reference antibacterial drugs in except for Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa which showed lower activity to Cinnamon essential oil. Conclusion: Cinnamon bark essential oil showed pronounced antimicrobial activity against all the microorganisms tested. Therefore, it can be a good antibacterial and antifungal agent since it is not toxic at the MICs used.

Keywords: Antimicrobial activity, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Urinary Tract Infections.