In vitro Antibacterial Efficacy of the Commercial Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens L.) Essential Oil against Some Gram-positive and Gram-negative Strains

Abstract

The aim of the current study was in vitro antimicrobial profiling of commercial wintergreen essential oil derived from leaves of Gaultheria procumbens (Natural essential oil – Wintergreen oil Bamer®) against Gram-positive strains such as Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz (ATCC®51299™) (resistant to vancomycin; sensitive to teicoplanin) and Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper- Balz (ATCC®29212™), Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus Rosenbach ATCC®29213™, Staphylococcus aureus NCTC12493™, and Gram-negative strains such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter) Migula ATCC®27853™, Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers ATCC®25922™, and Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers ATCC®35218™. The testing of the antibacterial activity of wintergreen EO was carried out in vitro by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. This study demonstrated that commercial wintergreen essential oil derived from leaves of Gaultheria procumbens (Natural essential oil – Wintergreen oil Bamer®) possesses significant antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, such as Enterococcus faecalis strains. Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli strains were resistant to commercial wintergreen essential oil derived from leaves of Gaultheria procumbens. This study showed that commercial wintergreen essential oil derived from leaves of Gaultheria procumbens could be a potential preparation as a source of natural antibacterial properties. Future pharmacological studies and development in other areas are thus warranted.