Antimicrobial activity of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) oil against microbes of environmental, clinical and food origin

Bhoj Raj Singh, Vidya Singh, R

Abstract

Out of the 1114 strains belonging to 29 genera and 105 species of microbes (molds, yeasts and bacteria) isolated from different sources [clinical cases, environment (water, air, soil, droppings of lizards and birds), food and healthy animals], 38.2% were sensitive to lemongrass oil discs containing 50 µg oil/disc. All molds, yeasts, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Morganella morganii, most of the Bacillus spp. strains (84.3%), aeromonads (78%),Edwardsiella spp. (73.9%), 53.6% pseudomonads, 53.1% streptococci and 50% of Budvicia aquatica and Leminorella ghirmontii strains were sensitive to lemongrass oil (LGO). On the other hand, all Hafnea alvei, Laclercia adecarboxylata, Xenorhabdus luminescens and majority of Salmonella enterica (98.3%), Citrobacter spp. (93.7%), Providencia spp. andKluyvera cryocrescens (83.3%), Enterobacter spp. (78.2%), Proteus spp. (78%), Escherichiaspp. (77.7%), enterococci (73.7%), Serratia spp. (75%) and Erwinia ananas (75%), Pragia fontium (70.6%), staphylococci (69.8%) and Klebsiella spp. (62.7%) strains were resistant to LGO. MIC of LGO for sensitive strains (tested against discs containing 50 µg LGO) varied from 1 µg to 32 µg /ml while none of the resistant strains had MIC