[Antibacterial activity of essential oils from mint in Senegal]

Three species of the Mentha gender are found in Senegal under the name of "Nana", and are essentially used in tea and juices as flavour. The aerial parts of the three species (common mint, mentholated mint and "fass" mint) have been harvested two months after they have been sown and the extraction of the essential oils was done by carrying them away with water vapour by hydrodistillation. The essential oils were used to study the antibacterial potency (typing of the Minimal Inhibitory concentrations-MIC) by the agar dilution method. This survey has been carried out on ten bacterial strains among which three (3) ATCC reference stubs, and on one fungus (Candida albicans). The MIC found was less than 25 mcg/ml; these results show an antibacterial potency according to the NCCLS norms (MIC < 256 mcg/ml). The tested strains were more sensitive to the essential oil of the "common mint" than the "fass mint". Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most resistant strain and Candida albicans the most sensitive agent.