Antimicrobial effect of combinations of cloxacillin and essential oil of Melaleuca armillaris against Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

 The current problem of bacterial resistance, largely promoted by indiscriminate use of an­tibiotics, leads to find more effective therapeutic alternatives to combat bacterial infections. Essential oils are a potential tool to deal with this issue. Our objective was to evaluate the pharmacodynamic interaction of Melaleuca armillaris essential oil and cloxacillin in search of a synergistic effect that maximizes the activity of the antibiotic against Staphylococcus aureus. Reference and wild strains of S. aureus were confronted to the essential oil and the antibiotic individually and in combination by microdilution in broth, modifying the pH conditions to emulate the subcellular environment. The interaction was determined by the checkerboard technique, the index of inhibitory fractional concentra­tion was calculated and the index of antibacterial activity of the combination was finally established. Our results demonstrate a clear antimicrobial activity of the essential oil, which allows reducing the minimum inhibitory concentrations of cloxacillin for S. aureus. This interaction is favored by medium acidification, where lower concentrations of cloxacillin achieved a bactericidal effect, close to virtual eradication, in the presence of small amounts of essential oil. These findings are promising for dealing with staphylococcal infections with a difficult resolution.