Antibacterial Effect of Cinnamon and Citronella Oils Combination Against Acne-Related Bacteria
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Submitted
15 February 2023
15 February 2023
Published
30 August 2023
30 August 2023
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Abstract
Acne vulgaris is a dermatological disease whose pathogenesis is due to high sebum secretion, hyperkeratinization, hormonal changes, or bacterial infections. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus are bacteria that can induce inflammation in acne. Cinnamomum burmannii and Cymbopogon nardus essential oils have been reported to have antibacterial activity against S. epidermidis and S. aureus. This study aimed to obtain the type of interaction of a combination of C. burmannii and C. nardus oils in inhibiting bacteria associated with acne. Essential oil components were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). Optimize the combination of C. burmannii and C. nardus oils using the checkerboard method. Furthermore, the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI) value is calculated to determine the effect of a combination that is synergistic, additive, not different or antagonistic. The main components of C. burmannii oil identified are cinnamaldehyde, eucalyptol, cinnamyl acetate, α-limonene, and α-terpineol. While C. nardus oil contains the five largest components: geraniol, citronellal, citronellol, citral, and geranyl acetate. Cinnamomum burmannii oil yielded 0.28%, with a refractive index of 1.5237. Meanwhile, the yield of C. nardus oil was 0.26%, with a refractive index of 1.4667. The combination of both oils yielded a FICI value of 1.5. The conclusion of this study shows that the combination of the two essential oils produces an indifferent effect against both S. epidermidis and S. aureus.
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References
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17. Leigh-de Rapper S, Viljoen A, van Vuuren S. Essential oil blends: The potential of combined use for respiratory tract infections. Antibiotics. 2021;10(12):1517. doi:10.3390/antibiotics10121517
18. El Atki Y, Aouam I, Taroq A, El Kamari F, Timinouni M, Lyoussi B, et al. Antibacterial effect of combination of cinnamon essential oil and thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, or geraniol. J Reports Pharm Sci. 2020;9(1):104-9. doi:10.4103/jrptps.JRPTPS_25_19
19. Kwiatkowski P, Łopusiewicz Ł, Pruss A, Kostek M, Sienkiewicz M, Bonikowski R, et al. Antibacterial activity of selected essential oil compounds alone and in combination with β-lactam antibiotics against MRSA strains. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(19):7106. doi:10.3390/ijms21197106
20. Ayari S, Shankar S, Follett P, Hossain F, Lacroix M. Potential synergistic antimicrobial efficiency of binary combinations of essential oils against Bacillus cereus and Paenibacillus amylolyticus-Part A. Microb Pathog. 2020;141:104008. doi:10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104008
21. Mulyaningsih S, Sporer F, Zimmermann S, Reichling J, Wink M. Synergistic properties of the terpenoids aromadendrene and 1,8-cineole from the essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus against antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Phytomedicne. 2010;17(13):1061-6. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2010.06.018
22. Balouiri M, Sadiki M, Ibnsouda SK. Methods for in vitro evaluating antimicrobial activity: A review. J Pharm Anal. 2016;6(2):71-9. doi:10.1016/j.jpha.2015.11.005
23. Budiastuti, Nurcholida RD, Primaharinastiti R, Sukardiman. Anti-inflammatory activity of cinnamon bark oil (cinnamomum burmannii (Nees & T. Nees) blume from lombok timur indonesia. Pharmacogn J. 2021;13(4):1005-13. doi:10.5530/pj.2021.13.130
24. Ameliana L, Almawadah A, Wulandari L. The Effect of Citronella Oil Concentration (Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle) on the Quality of Shampoo and Antifungal Activity of Candida albicans. Indones J Pharm. 2019;1(2):52-6. doi:10.24198/idjp.v1i2.21551
25. Goñi P, López P, Sánchez C, Gómez-Lus R, Becerril R, Nerín C. Antimicrobial activity in the vapour phase of a combination of cinnamon and clove essential oils. Food Chem. 2009;116(4):982-9. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.03.058
26. Vasconcelos NG, Croda J, Simionatto S. Antibacterial mechanisms of cinnamon and its constituents: A review. Microb Pathog. 2018;120:198–203. doi:10.1016/j.micpath.2018.04.036
27. Wei LS, Wee W. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Cymbopogon nardus citronella essential oil against systemic bacteria of aquatic animals. Iran J Microbiol. 2013;5(2):147-52.
28. Tsitlakidou P, Tasopoulos N, Chatzopoulou P, Mourtzinos I. Current status, technology, regulation and future perspectives of essential oils usage in the food and drink industry. J Sci Food Agric. 2023;103(14):6727-51. doi:10.1002/jsfa.12695
29. Abdelhamed FM, Abdeltawab NF, ElRakaiby MT, Shamma RN, Moneib NA. Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Thymus vulgaris Essential Oil Nanoemulsion on Acne Vulgaris. Microorganisms. 2022;10(9):1874. doi:10.3390/microorganisms10091874
30. Bellio P, Fagnani L, Nazzicone L, Celenza G. New and simplified method for drug combination studies by checkerboard assay. MethodsX. 2021;8:101543. doi:10.1016/j.mex.2021.101543
31. Orchard A, van Vuuren SF, Viljoen GK. The in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of commercial essential oils and their combinations against acne. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2018;40(3):226-43. doi:10.1111/ics.12456
32. Iseppi R, Mariani M, Condò C, Sabia C, Messi P. Essential oils: A natural weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria responsible for nosocomial infections. Antibiotics. 2021;10(4):417. doi:10.3390/antibiotics10040417
33. Rafya M, Zehhar N, Hafidi A, Benkhalti F. Investigation of the High-order Effect of Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Thymus satureioides Essential Oils with Antibiotics on the Membrane Integrity of Salmonella typhi. J Essent Oil Bear Plants. 2022;25(4):939-52. doi:10.1080/0972060X.2022.2128896
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2. Wińska K, Mączka W, Łyczko J, Grabarczyk M, Czubaszek A, Szumny A. Essential oils as antimicrobial agents—myth or real alternative? Molecules. 2019;24(11):2130. doi:10.3390/molecules24112130
3. Sarkic A, Stappen I. Essential oils and their single compounds in cosmetics-a critical review. Cosmetics. 2018;5(1):11. doi:10.3390/cosmetics5010011
4. Happy AA, Jahan F, Momen MA. Essential Oils: Magical Ingredients for Skin Care. J Plant Sci. 2021;9(2):54. doi:10.11648/j.jps.20210902.14
5. Sitohang I, Fathan H, Effendi E, Wahid M. The susceptibility of pathogens associated with acne vulgaris to antibiotics. Med J Indones. 2018;28(1):21-7. doi:10.13181/mji.v28i1.2735
6. Nabavi SF, Di Lorenzo A, Izadi M, Sobarzo-Sánchez E, Daglia M, Nabavi SM. Antibacterial effects of cinnamon: From farm to food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Nutrients. 2015;7(9):7729–48. doi:10.3390/nu7095359
7. Zhang Y, Liu X, Wang Y, Jiang P, Quek S. Antibacterial activity and mechanism of cinnamon essential oil against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Food Control. 2016;59:282-9. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.05.032
8. Nuryastuti T, van der Mei HC, Busscher HJ, Iravati S, Aman AT, Krom BP. Effect of cinnamon oil on icaA expression and biofilm formation by Staphylococcus epidermidis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009;75(21):6850-5. doi:10.1128/AEM.00875-09
9. Veerasophon J, Sripalakit P, Saraphanchotiwitthaya A. Formulation of anti-acne concealer containing cinnamon oil with antimicrobial activity against Propionibacterium acnes. J Adv Pharm Technol Res. 2020;11(2):53-8. doi:10.4103/japtr.JAPTR_1_20
10. Ghovvati M, Afshari GK, Nasrollahi SA, Firooz A, Samadi A, Karimi M, et al. Efficacy of topical cinnamon gel for the treatment of facial acne vulgaris: A preliminary study. Biomed Res Ther. 2019;6(1):2958-65. doi:10.15419/bmrat.v6i1.515
11. Han X, Parker TL. Antiinflammatory Activity of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) Bark Essential Oil in a Human Skin Disease Model. Phyther Res. 2017;31(7):1034-8. doi:10.1002/ptr.5822
12. Pontes EKU, Melo HM, Nogueira JWA, Firmino NCS, de Carvalho MG, Júnior FEAC, et al. Antibiofilm activity of the essential oil of citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) and its major component, geraniol, on the bacterial biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2018;28(3):633–9. doi:10.1007/s10068-018-0502-2
13. Mahant S, Sahajpal NS, Nanda S. Insights into the mechanism of Cymbopogan martinii essential oil in topical therapy of acne vulgaris. Future Microbiol. 2021;16:1181-93. doi:10.2217/fmb-2021-0039
14. Nakahara K, Alzoreky NS, Yoshihashi T, Nguyen HTT, Trakoontivakorn G. Chemical Composition and Antifungal Activity of Essential Oil from Cymbopogon nardus (Citronella Grass). Japan Agric Res Q. 2003;37(4):249-52. doi:10.6090/jarq.37.249
15. Bayala B, Coulibaly AY, Djigma FW, Nagalo BM, Baron S, Figueredo G, et al. Chemical composition, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities of the essential oil of Cymbopogon nardus, a plant used in traditional medicine. Biomol Concepts. 2020;11(1):86-96. doi:10.1515/bmc-2020-0007
16. Sari I, Misrahanum M, Faradilla M, Ayuningsih CM, Maysarah H. Antibacterial Activity of Citronella Essential Oil from Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle) Against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Indones J Pharm Clin Res. 2022;5(1):16-22. doi:10.32734/idjpcr.v5i1.8302
17. Leigh-de Rapper S, Viljoen A, van Vuuren S. Essential oil blends: The potential of combined use for respiratory tract infections. Antibiotics. 2021;10(12):1517. doi:10.3390/antibiotics10121517
18. El Atki Y, Aouam I, Taroq A, El Kamari F, Timinouni M, Lyoussi B, et al. Antibacterial effect of combination of cinnamon essential oil and thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, or geraniol. J Reports Pharm Sci. 2020;9(1):104-9. doi:10.4103/jrptps.JRPTPS_25_19
19. Kwiatkowski P, Łopusiewicz Ł, Pruss A, Kostek M, Sienkiewicz M, Bonikowski R, et al. Antibacterial activity of selected essential oil compounds alone and in combination with β-lactam antibiotics against MRSA strains. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(19):7106. doi:10.3390/ijms21197106
20. Ayari S, Shankar S, Follett P, Hossain F, Lacroix M. Potential synergistic antimicrobial efficiency of binary combinations of essential oils against Bacillus cereus and Paenibacillus amylolyticus-Part A. Microb Pathog. 2020;141:104008. doi:10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104008
21. Mulyaningsih S, Sporer F, Zimmermann S, Reichling J, Wink M. Synergistic properties of the terpenoids aromadendrene and 1,8-cineole from the essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus against antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Phytomedicne. 2010;17(13):1061-6. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2010.06.018
22. Balouiri M, Sadiki M, Ibnsouda SK. Methods for in vitro evaluating antimicrobial activity: A review. J Pharm Anal. 2016;6(2):71-9. doi:10.1016/j.jpha.2015.11.005
23. Budiastuti, Nurcholida RD, Primaharinastiti R, Sukardiman. Anti-inflammatory activity of cinnamon bark oil (cinnamomum burmannii (Nees & T. Nees) blume from lombok timur indonesia. Pharmacogn J. 2021;13(4):1005-13. doi:10.5530/pj.2021.13.130
24. Ameliana L, Almawadah A, Wulandari L. The Effect of Citronella Oil Concentration (Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle) on the Quality of Shampoo and Antifungal Activity of Candida albicans. Indones J Pharm. 2019;1(2):52-6. doi:10.24198/idjp.v1i2.21551
25. Goñi P, López P, Sánchez C, Gómez-Lus R, Becerril R, Nerín C. Antimicrobial activity in the vapour phase of a combination of cinnamon and clove essential oils. Food Chem. 2009;116(4):982-9. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.03.058
26. Vasconcelos NG, Croda J, Simionatto S. Antibacterial mechanisms of cinnamon and its constituents: A review. Microb Pathog. 2018;120:198–203. doi:10.1016/j.micpath.2018.04.036
27. Wei LS, Wee W. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Cymbopogon nardus citronella essential oil against systemic bacteria of aquatic animals. Iran J Microbiol. 2013;5(2):147-52.
28. Tsitlakidou P, Tasopoulos N, Chatzopoulou P, Mourtzinos I. Current status, technology, regulation and future perspectives of essential oils usage in the food and drink industry. J Sci Food Agric. 2023;103(14):6727-51. doi:10.1002/jsfa.12695
29. Abdelhamed FM, Abdeltawab NF, ElRakaiby MT, Shamma RN, Moneib NA. Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Thymus vulgaris Essential Oil Nanoemulsion on Acne Vulgaris. Microorganisms. 2022;10(9):1874. doi:10.3390/microorganisms10091874
30. Bellio P, Fagnani L, Nazzicone L, Celenza G. New and simplified method for drug combination studies by checkerboard assay. MethodsX. 2021;8:101543. doi:10.1016/j.mex.2021.101543
31. Orchard A, van Vuuren SF, Viljoen GK. The in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of commercial essential oils and their combinations against acne. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2018;40(3):226-43. doi:10.1111/ics.12456
32. Iseppi R, Mariani M, Condò C, Sabia C, Messi P. Essential oils: A natural weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria responsible for nosocomial infections. Antibiotics. 2021;10(4):417. doi:10.3390/antibiotics10040417
33. Rafya M, Zehhar N, Hafidi A, Benkhalti F. Investigation of the High-order Effect of Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Thymus satureioides Essential Oils with Antibiotics on the Membrane Integrity of Salmonella typhi. J Essent Oil Bear Plants. 2022;25(4):939-52. doi:10.1080/0972060X.2022.2128896
Authors
1.
Mulyaningsih S, Ramadhan AG, Putranti W. Antibacterial Effect of Cinnamon and Citronella Oils Combination Against Acne-Related Bacteria. Borneo J Pharm [Internet]. 2023Aug.30 [cited 2025Apr.6];6(3):305-13. Available from: https://journal.umpr.ac.id/index.php/bjop/article/view/4735
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