Laboratory of Bio-Medicinal Pharmacology, HAMASHIMA
Staff
Hajime Hamashima, Ph.D.Professor
Research Objectives:The antibacterial activities of plant-derived compound
The antibacterial effects of terpene alcohols on Staphylococcus aureus
To clarify the nature of the antibacterial activity of tea tree oil (TTO; an essential oil of M.alternifolia), the authors investigated the antibacterial effects of myrcene on S. aureusFDA209 and the effects of the combination of myrcene and terpinen-4- ol.The results werecompared with that in the case of other components of TTO. Using S. aureus FDA209Pas the test organism, the authors assessed antibacterial activity in terms of the growthinhibition and the leakage of K+ ions from bacterial cells. Myrcene suppressed the growthof S. aureus, as did TTO, and the effect was dependent on damage to cell membranes. Amixture of myrcene and terpinen-4- ol had activity similar to that of TTO with respect toleakage of K+ ions from S. aureus. Myrcene acts as an antibacterial agent against S.aureus and is an important contributor to the antibacterial activity of TTO.