Planta Med 2018; 84(09/10): 662-673
DOI: 10.1055/a-0592-8022
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Antimicrobial Essential Oil Combinations to Combat Foot Odour

Ané Orchard
1   Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
,
Alvaro Viljoen
2   Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Johannesburg, South Africa and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, SAMRC Herbal Drugs Research Unit, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
,
Sandy van Vuuren
1   Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 01 December 2017
revised 06 March 2018

accepted 10 March 2018

Publication Date:
26 March 2018 (online)

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Abstract

Foot odour (bromodosis) is an embarrassing and perplexing condition mostly caused by bacteria of the Brevibacterium species. Essential oils are a credible option as an affordable treatment of odour and contribute towards antimicrobial efficacy. Therefore, this study sets out to investigate the antimicrobial activity of essential oil combinations against odour-causing bacteria. The broth microdilution method was used to investigate the antimicrobial activity of 119 essential oil combinations, and the fractional inhibitory index was calculated to determine the interactive profile. Combinations that resulted in synergy in 1 : 1 ratios were further evaluated in different concentrations, and isobolograms were plotted to determine the influence of the ratio on overall activity. Numerous combinations could be identified as having synergistic interactions against the Brevibacterium spp. and no antagonism was observed. The combination of Juniperus virginiana (juniper) and Styrax benzoin (benzoin) demonstrated synergy against all three Brevibacterium spp. tested and J. virginiana was the essential oil responsible for the majority of the synergistic interactions. The results reported here confirm the promising potential of the majority of these oils and selected combinations in treating and controlling bromodosis.

Key words

aromatherapy - Brevibacterium spp. - bromodosis - malodour - interactions - essential oils - antimicrobial

Supporting Information

    Essential oil voucher codes and analysis data are available as Supporting Information.

  • Supporting Information
 

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