Use of Essential Oils and Their Components against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Aromatic and medicinal plants, through their secondary metabolism, provide a complex mixture of volatile molecules known as essential oils. These volatile molecules exert antibacterial activity that has been used in folk medicine for centuries. During the last few decades, the emergence of antibacterial resistance has forced us to search for new and efficient antimicrobial agents. The significant number of studies on the use of essential oils and their components against multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa show the exceptional potential of these natural products to curb the development of antibacterial resistance. Moreover, the use of essential oils and their components in combination with antibiotics may increase bacterial susceptibility, thus limiting resistance. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved