In vitro antimicrobial activity of lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) oil and citral against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) from bovine mastitis*

The mounting tide of bovine mastitis by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses serious threat to efficacy of antibiotic treatment. Therefore, plant derived essential oils and their constituents are gaining great importance in the recent times as promising antimicrobial agents. Hence the present study was conducted to evaluate antibacterial activity of lemongrass oil (LGO) and its active principle, citral against methicillin and oxacillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from bovine mastitis cases. Among the 16 S. aureus organisms isolated, six isolates identified as MRSA by antibiogram against methicillin and oxacillin were selected for further study. The findings of the study indicated significant antimicrobial activity of LGO and citral as evident from their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and diameter of zone of inhibition values