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Antibiotics
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Essential Oils as Natural Antimicrobials: Extraction, Characterization, and Synergistic Applications
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Essential Oils as Natural Antimicrobials: Extraction, Characterization, and Synergistic Applications

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant-Derived Antibiotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 2571

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sergio A. Rodríguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Antioxidantes y Procesos Oxidativos, Instituto de Ciencias Químicas, Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias, Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, CONICET, RN 9, Km 1125, Santiago del Estero 4206, Argentina
Interests: volatile organic compounds; bioinsecticides; repellency; mechanism of action; computational chemistry; bioactivity; molecular docking
Dr. Axel Hollmann

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Compuestos Bioactivos, Centro de Investigaciones en Biofísica Aplicada y Alimentos (CIBAAL), CONICET—Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, RN 9, Km 1125, Santiago del Estero 4206, Argentina
Interests: antimicrobial peptides; peptide—membrane interactions; natural antimicrobials; green silver nanoparticles; essential oils as antimicrobials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Douglas Siqueira de Almeida Chaves

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 23890-000, Brazil
Interests: biological activities; biostatistics; chemistry; natural product chemistry; pharmacology; quality control; repellents
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores the latest advancements in the obtention and chemical characterization of essential oils, focusing on their potential as natural antibiotics and their interactions with commercial antimicrobials. Ethnobotanical studies highlight a vast number of medicinal plants with untapped scientific potential, particularly aromatic species, which have long been recognized in traditional medicine for their therapeutic properties.

Essential oils are aromatic oleaginous liquids extracted from various plant parts, composed primarily of a complex mixture of terpenoids derived from secondary metabolism. This Special Issue will showcase novel extraction methodologies, significant findings on antimicrobial activity, synergistic effects with existing antibiotics, and emerging trends in the development of natural antimicrobial agents.

We welcome contributions from researchers and professionals investigating the mechanisms of action of these bioactive compounds, including their interactions with biological membranes, enzymatic inhibition, resistance mitigation, and synergy with conventional antibiotics. Special attention will be given to studies on bacterial biofilm formation and eradication, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms driving these processes.

Dr. Sergio A. Rodríguez
Dr. Axel Hollmann
Dr. Douglas Siqueira de Almeida Chaves
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural antimicrobials
  • biofilm eradication
  • mechanism of action
  • synergism
  • antagonism
  • cytotoxicity
  • compound isolation
  • membrane interaction
  • enzymatic inhibition
  • DNA interaction
  • oxidative stress

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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14 pages, 646 KB  
Article
Antimicrobial: Antibiofilm, Anti-Quorum Sensing and Cytotoxic Activities of Dorystoechas hastata Boiss & Heldr. ex Bentham Essential Oil
by Timur Hakan Barak, Basar Karaca, Huseyin Servi, Simge Kara Ertekin, Tuğba Buse Şentürk, Muhittin Dinc, Hatice Ustuner and Mujde Eryilmaz
Antibiotics 2025, 14(10), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14101019 - 14 Oct 2025
Viewed by 695
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anti-quorum sensing, and cytotoxic activities of the essential oils extracted from the leaves of Dorystoechas hastata Boiss & Helder. ex Bentham (Lamiaceae) (DHL-EO) as well as to determine the chemical [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anti-quorum sensing, and cytotoxic activities of the essential oils extracted from the leaves of Dorystoechas hastata Boiss & Helder. ex Bentham (Lamiaceae) (DHL-EO) as well as to determine the chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from both the leaves and roots. Methods: The essential oils of the root and leaf were extracted by the hydrodistillation method. The chemical composition of the two oils was determined by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The antimicrobial activity of DHL-EO was determined against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, and various Candida species using the broth microdilution method. Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 were used for antibiofilm and anti-quorum sensing activities, respectively. The cytotoxic activity of the DHL-EO was examined by MTT assay. Results: Eucalyptol (21.3%), 2-bornanone (17.0%), and α-pinene (10.3%) were the main compounds of the DHL-EO. The root essential oil (DHR-EO) had trans-ferruginol (19.2%), guaiol (14.1%), and ar-abietatriene (14.0%) as the main components. The DHL-EO displayed weak and moderate antimicrobial activity. The DHL-EO showed moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 (methicillin-susceptible, MSSA) and S. aureus ATCC 43300 (methicillin-resistant, MRSA), with a MIC value of 12.5 mg/mL. The DHL-EO exhibited the strongest antifungal activity against Candida parapsilosis RSKK 994, with a MIC value of 0.78 mg/mL. It also demonstrated antifungal activity against C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019 and Candida krusei RSKK 3016, with MIC values of 3.12 mg/mL. The DHL-EO showed antibiofilm activity in a concentration-dependent manner, particularly at higher concentrations, and inhibited violacein production in a dose-dependent manner, with anti-quorum sensing activity. The DHL-EO displayed moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 (IC50: 110.3 μg/mL) and A549 (IC50: 120.4 μg/mL) cell lines. Conclusions: The chemical composition of DHL-EO and DHR-EO showed qualitative and quantitative differences from each other in the present study. The essential oil of the leaves showed moderate cytotoxic and antibacterial activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Essential Oils as Natural Antimicrobials: Extraction, Characterization, and Synergistic Applications)
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17 pages, 1610 KB  
Article
Antimicrobial Action of Essential Oil of Tagetes minuta: Role of the Bacterial Membrane in the Mechanism of Action
by Anahí Bordón, Sergio A. Rodríguez, Douglas Siqueira de Almeida Chaves, Andrea C. Cutró and Axel Hollmann
Antibiotics 2025, 14(7), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14070632 - 21 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1568
Abstract
Background: The rise in multidrug-resistant bacteria has intensified the search for new antibiotics, drawing attention to essential oils (EOs) for their antimicrobial properties. For this reason, this study focuses on the antimicrobial action of the EO obtained from Tagetes minuta and its impact [...] Read more.
Background: The rise in multidrug-resistant bacteria has intensified the search for new antibiotics, drawing attention to essential oils (EOs) for their antimicrobial properties. For this reason, this study focuses on the antimicrobial action of the EO obtained from Tagetes minuta and its impact on bacterial membranes. Methods: The EO was chemically characterized by chromatography–mass spectrometry, and its antimicrobial activity and its effects on surface and bacterial membrane were assessed by using Zeta potential, membrane transition temperature (Tm) determination; and fluorescence spectroscopy with Laurdan and Di-8 ANEPPS. Results: Twenty-seven compounds could be identified, with (E)-Tagetone, (Z)-Ocimenone, and β-pinene as the most abundant. Afterward, the EO was tested against Escherichia coli (MIC and MBC = 17 mg/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 8.5 mg/mL; MBC > 17 mg/mL), showing antimicrobial action in both bacteria, being more effective against E. coli. Mechanistic studies revealed that the EO interacts with bacterial membranes, increasing the Zeta potential by more than 9 mV and enhancing membrane permeability up to 90%. These effects were further confirmed using model lipid membranes, where the EO induced significant changes in membrane properties, including a reduction in dipole potential and transition temperature, suggesting that some EO components could be inserted into the lipid bilayer, disrupting membrane integrity. Conclusions: The EO from T. minuta demonstrates efficient antimicrobial activity by compromising bacterial membrane structure, highlighting its potential as a natural antimicrobial agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Essential Oils as Natural Antimicrobials: Extraction, Characterization, and Synergistic Applications)
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