EFFECT OF EUCALYPTUS ESSENTIAL OIL ON RESPIRATORY BACTERIA AND VIRUSES

The activity of Eucalyptus globulus essentialoil was determined for 120 isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes,20 isolates of S. pneumoniae, 40 isolates of S.agalactiae, 20 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 40 isolatesof Haemophilus influenzae, 30 isolates of H.parainfluenzae, 10 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 10isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and two viruses,a strain of adenovirus and a strain of mumps virus, allobtained from clinical specimens of patients with respiratorytract infections. The cytotoxicity was evaluated onVERO cells by the MTT test. The antibacterial activity wasevaluated by the Kirby Bauer paper method, minimuminhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration.H. influenzae, parainfluenzae, and S.maltophilia were the most susceptible, followed by S.pneumoniae. The antiviral activity, assessed by means ofvirus yield experiments titered by the end-point dilutionmethod for adenovirus, and by plaque reduction assay formumps virus, disclosed only a mild activity on mumpsvirus.