Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemistry of Psidium guajava Essential Oil From Palestine: Targeting Oral Microbial Strains

Introduction

The prevalence of oral diseases has been rising, presenting a significant challenge exacerbated by the increasing resistance of bacteria due to the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Given the typical financial challenges encountered in developing nations, there is an urgent requirement for alternative approaches and materials to address and manage these diseases. This study aims to investigate the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of Psidium guajava leaf essential oil (PGL-EO) against specific oral bacterial species.

Methods

The extraction of PGL-EO was conducted using a Clevenger apparatus, and the chemical composition of PGL-EO was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Various microbial strains from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and clinically obtained oral strains were selected, and the antibacterial activity was assessed using the microdilution broth technique.

Results

The GC-MS analysis indicated the existence of 28 chemicals in PGL-EO, representing 97.76% of the total oil composition. The primary constituents found in this material consisted of l-limonene (31.70%), caryophyllene (27.31%), and caryophyllene oxide (6.90%). In addition, the major phytochemical class was sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (42.35%), followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons (32.30%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenoids (21.51%). PGL-EO exhibited remarkable antimicrobial efficacy against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus sanguinis, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Candida albicans..

Conclusions

The findings of this study strongly suggest that PGL-EO holds potential as an effective anti-plaque and anticary agent. Furthermore, the results obtained in this study consider PGL-EO a promising anticandidal agent in that it can contribute to treating and preventing oral diseases.