@article {603, title = {Chemical Composition, Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Essential Oil from Cordia Verbenacea DC Leaves}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {July,2012}, pages = {161-165}, chapter = {161}, abstract = {

Background: Cordia verbenacea is a Brazilian coastal shrub popularly known as {\textquotedblleft}erva baleeira{\textquotedblright}. The essential oil from fresh leaves was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by CG/MS. The main components were identified as β-caryophyllene (25.4\%), bicyclogermacrene (11.3\%), δ-cadinene (9.\%) and α-pinene (9.5\%). In this study, the antimicrobial activity of Cordia verbenacea was evaluated. Materials and Methods: The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oil was obtained using the broth microdilution assay (from 512 to 8 μg/ml). Results: The results showed that the essential oil presented fungistatic activity against Candida albicans and Candida krusei and antibacterial activity against Gram-positive strains (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and against multiresistant Gram-negative (Escherichia coli 27), in all tests the MIC was 64 {\textmu}g/ml. When the essential oil was associated to aminoglycosides (subinhibitory concentrations, MIC/8), a synergic and antagonic activity was verified. The synergic effect was observed to the amikacin association (MIC reduction from 256 mlto 64 {\textmu}g/ml) in all strains tested. Conclusion: The essential oil of Cordia verbenacea influences the activity of antibiotics and may be used as an adjuvant in antibiotic therapy against respiratory tract bacterial pathogens.

}, keywords = {Aminoglycosides, Antimicrobial activity, Cordia verbenacea, Essential oil.}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.99080}, author = {Fabiola F. G. Rodrigues and Liana G. S. Oliveira and F{\'a}bio F. G. Rodrigues and Manuele E. Saraiva and Sheyla C. X. Almeida and Mario E. S. Cabral and Adriana R. Campos and Jose Galberto M. Costa} }