Antibacterial effect of Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common pathogenic bacteria in clinical environment, which can cause various diseases. Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. as a traditional Chinese herb, its essential oil shows excellent bacteriostatic effect against S. aureus. To study the antibacterial effect of B. balsamifera (L.) DC. essential oil (BBO) against S. aureus, this study evaluated the effect of BBO on the permeability and integrity of cell membranes and on the total protein and nucleic acid content in S. aureus. Furthermore, proteomics was used to study the effect of BBO on the proteome of S. aureus. The results showed that BBO can destroy the permeability of the cell membrane, and inhibit the synthesis of bacterial nucleic acid and protein. Proteomics shows that BBO affects disorder of amino acid metabolism and affects the activity of various enzymes and the transport of substances. Taken together, these results indicated a substantial antibacterial effect of BBO on S. aureus.