Essential Oil Activity Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A Mini-Review

Abstract

Drug resistance among pathogenic bacteria has been a major concern for decades. Diseases caused by them have been the main cause of death in developing countries where this factor contributes around one third of the total number of deaths. With the gradual increase in microbial resistance and the side effects that synthetic medicines may cause, there has always been a need of finding natural medicines that can effectively treat such diseases. Among such potent resources are plant essential oils that have been reported in literature and is a recent topic of extraordinary interest. In this study, antimicrobial potential of essential oils of various plants against two resistant strains: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDRTB), has been discussed.