Antimicrobial and modulating action of the essential oil from the leaves of Piper brachypetiolatum Yunck (Piperaceae) against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

Abstract

The excessive use of antibiotics in recent years has led to serious consequences such as the microbial resistance. In response to this problem, essential oils from the genus Piper have been extensively investigated for their diverse biological properties, including antimicrobial activity. This work presents the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) of Piper brachypetiolatum and its antimicrobial and modulatory action against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . For this purpose, the leaves of P. brachypetiolatum were subjected to hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus. The essential oil yield was 0.85%, and 11 compounds were identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The main constituents were (E)-nerolidol (24.51%) and hinesol (23.55%). The essential oil showed antimicrobial activity against resistant strains of S. aureus (CBAM 324) and E. coli (CBAM 02), with mean inhibition zones of 17 mm and 13 mm, respectively, and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 mg/mL for both microorganisms. In modulating activity assays, the essential oil associated with antibiotics to which the strains were resistant showed higher activity, suggesting a synergistic action between the oil and the antibiotics. The results observed indicate the promising potential of P. brachypetiolatum essential oil against the resistant bacteria S. aureus and E. coli .