Essential Oils and the Ability to Inhibit Biofilm Formation of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

Despite the constant innovation of science and technology, bacteria are outpacing the market for new and innovative antibiotics and antibiotic resistance is becoming a looming threat. With a decreasing number of antibiotic companies due to government legislation and the expensive Research and Development process. The first case of a superbug arose in Washoe County, Nevada in August, 2016. As a result, the present study explored the use of alternate substances to eradicate the potential superbug cases. The study focused on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its notorious biofilm formation. The present research examined the ability of Peppermint, Roman Chamomile, and Lemongrass essential oils to inhibit biofilms. To evaluate the effectiveness of those test substances, a biofilm assay was prepared in a 96-microtiter plate. The plate was later run through spectrophotometer to indirectly assess bacterial growth and biofilm formation. The results show that Lemongrass has the most prominent reduction of both bacteria growth and biofilm formation. The same trend was observed for Peppermint, however, the correlation was weaker than the Lemongrass. Roman Chamomile essential oil did not show any effect on antimicrobial activity as both bacterial growth increased and biofilm formation stayed stagnant. Further studies are needed to justify bacterial growth patterns that were observed in this research.