• The antibacterial Effects of Essential Oils from Medicinal Plants on Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Carrying Carbapenem Resistance Genes (blaKPC, blaIMP, blaNDM, ...)effects on bacteria
  • kimiya kazemi esfeh,1,* maryam mohammadi sichani,2 Mansour Amin,3
    1. Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad Universty, Felavarjan Branch, Isfahan, Iran
    2. Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad Universty, Felavarjan Branch, Isfahan, Iran
    3. Department of Microbiology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine


  • Introduction: Increasing infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, particularly those resistant to carbapenems, present a major public health concern. This study investigated the antimicrobial effects of essential oils from Zataria multiflora, Mentha pulegium, Cinnamomum verum, and MDR bacteria with carbapenem resistance genes.
  • Methods: PCR was used to detect carbapenem resistance genes (blaKPC, blaIMP, blaNDM, ) in multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and . The antibacterial effects of various concentrations of essential oils were tested using the agar disc diffusion method and a novel concentration gradient-based approach. The study determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of these essential oils against the bacteria.
  • Results: Among the tested strains, while all studied bacteria harbored the blaKPC gene. Specifically, S. aureus carried the blaIMP and blaNDM genes. P. aeruginosa carried the blaIMP and blaNDM genes. The MICs of Z. multiflora against S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa were 3.1, and 9.3 mg/ml, respectively. The MIC of C. verum against S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa was 3.1, and 9.3 mg/ml, respectively, while the MICs of M. pulegium against S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa were 2.5, and 0 mg/ml, respectively. Among the investigated bacteria, P. aeruginosa exhibited the highest resistance to the essential oils. Z. multiflora demonstrated the highest inhibitory effect among the essential oils.
  • Conclusion: This study highlights the high sensitivity of these bacteria to Z. multiflora, C. verum, and M. pulegium essential oils. Therefore, these essential oils present promising alternatives to chemical drugs for combating infections caused by carbapenem-resistant bacteria
  • Keywords: resistance to carbapenems, antimicrobial effects, Z. multiflora, C. verum, M. pulegium,