[Antibacterial action of essential oils extracted from Madagascar plants]

The following aromatherapy study reports the antimicrobial activity of eight Malagasy essential oils by the determination of their respective M.I.C. (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration) on enteropathogenic and spoilage bacteria strains. The aromatic plants used were taken from the Labiatae family (Thymus vulgaris, Ocimum gratissimum), the Myrtaceae family (Eugenia caryophyllata, Melaleuca viridiflora) and the Compositae (Helichrysum lavanduloides, H. bracteiferum, H. gymnocephalum, Psiadia altissima). Their inhibitory effect were tested on eight referied strains commonly used for antibiotic measurements and also on twelve others enteropathogenic bacteria strains. The results showed that three oils from Thymus vulgaris, Ocimum gratissimum and Eugenia caryophyllata were particularly efficient with a large spectra action. We noticed that the essential oil of Melaleuca viridiflora had also a high inhibitory effect especially on Gram positive bacteria.