Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil for Inhibiting Primary Biofilm Colonizers: An In Vitro Study

Volume 13 , Issue 1 , April 2026 , Pages 28-39

Authors

Lara S. Mohammed Raouf 1 ; Faraedon M. Zardawi 2

1 Department of Periodontology, College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah 46001, Iraq.

2 Dean of Faculty of Dentistry Qaiwan International Universit

DOI logo 10.17656/sdj.10219

Keywords

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Lavandula angustifolia (L. angustifolia) essential oil (EO) in inhibiting bacterial growth and biofilm formation of primary colonizers, such as Streptococcus sanguinis (S. Sanguinis), Streptococcus mitis (S. mitis), and Streptococcus oralis (S. oralis), in an in vitro setting.

Methods: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis was used to examine the oil extracted from L. angustifolia EO by hydrodistillation. Agar well diffusion and broth dilution techniques were performed to evaluate antibacterial activity and Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (MBCs), respectively, against the three American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains. In contrast, the qualitative tube method was performed to assess the antibiofilm effect. Chlorhexidine 0.12% was used as a positive control, and all experiments were performed in triplicate (n = 3). Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26), with p ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: GC–MS identified 25 constituents in L. angustifolia EO, with linalool (20.99%) predominant. The EO (5–20%) showed dose-dependent antibacterial activity, producing inhibition zones up to 16.2 mm compared with 16–18 mm for chlorhexidine. MIC/MBC values (µL/mL) were 1.56/3.125 for S. mitis, 0.39/0.781 for S. oralis, and 0.156/3.12 for S. sanguinis. For the mixed-species consortium, MIC and MBC were 0.156 and 3.12 µL/mL, respectively. The EO demonstrated moderate to weak antibiofilm activity.

Conclusions: L. angustifolia EO showed concentration-dependent antibacterial activity against primary oral colonizers. While chlorhexidine 0.12% produced larger inhibition zones overall, L. angustifolia EO at higher concentrations, especially 15%, demonstrated comparable efficacy against S. mitis. These findings suggest its potential as a supplementary therapeutic natural adjunct for preventing early plaque formation.

پوختە

پوختە

ئامانجەکان: ئامانجی ئەم توێژینەوەیە هەڵسەنگاندنی کاریگەری زەیتی سروشتی لاڤاندولا ئەنگوستیفۆلیا (L. angustifolia) (زەیتی لاڤندەر) بوو بۆ ڕێگریکردن لە گەشەی بەکتریا و دروستبوونی بایۆفیلمە سەرەتاییەکان، وەک Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis)، Streptococcus mitis (S. mitis) و Streptococcus oralis (S. oralis)، لە دۆخی   in vitro دا (تاقیکردنەوە لە تاقیگەدا).

ڕێگاکان: شیکردنەوەی گاز کرۆماتۆگرافی–ماس سپێکترۆمێتری بەکارهێنرا بۆ پشکنینی ڕۆنی لاڤندەر کە دەرهێندرابوو بە شێوازی دڵۆپاندن. تەکنیکەکانی بڵاوبوونەوە  لە پلێتی ئاگار و ڕوونکردنەوە لە شلەدا ئەنجامدرا بۆ هەڵسەنگاندنی چالاکیی دژە بەکتریا و کەمترین چڕیی ڕێگریکەر (MICs) و کەمترین چڕیی بەکتریاکوژەکان (MBCs)، بەدوای یەکدا، لە دژی هەر سێ جۆر بەکتریای بەدەستهێنراو لە کۆمەڵەی کولتوری جۆری ئەمریکی  )بانکی ئەمریکی((ATCC) . لە هەمان کاتدا، تاقیکردنەوەی شێوازی چۆنایەتی qualitative لە ناو شوشەدا ئەنجامدرا بۆ هەڵسەنگاندنی توانا و کاریگەری دژە بایۆفیلمی زەیتی لاڤندەر. کلۆرهێکسیدین 0.12% وەک کۆنتڕۆڵێکی ئەرێنی بەکارهات، و هەر تاقیکردنەوەیەک سێ جار ئەنجامدرا (n = 3). داتاکان بە بەکارهێنانی SPSS وەشانی 26 شیکرانەوە، لەگەڵ p ≤ 0.05 کە لە ڕووی ئامارییەوە بە گرنگ دادەنرێت.

ئەنجامەکان: GC-MC ٢٥ پێکهاتەی لە زەیتی لاڤندەر L. angustifolia EO دەستنیشان کرد، کە پێکهاتەی لیناڵۆل بە ڕێژەی (20.99%) زاڵترین بوو. ڕێژەکانی %٥ بۆ لە %٢٠ ی زەیتەکە چالاکیی دژە بەکتریای وابەستە بە ژەمە دەرمانەکە نیشان دا واتە چالاکی دژە بەکتریای زەیتی لاڤندەر پەیوەست بوو بە ڕێژەکەیەوە، ناوچەی ڕێگری تا 16.2 ملم بەرهەم هێنا بە بەراورد لەگەڵ 16-18 ملم بۆ کلۆرهێکسیدین. بەهاکانی MIC/MBC (μL/mL) 1.56/3.125 بوو بۆ S. mitis، 0.39/0.781 بۆ S. oralis، و 0.156/3.12 بۆ S. sanguinis. بۆ کۆمەڵەی جۆرە تێکەڵەکان، MIC و MBC بە ڕێککەوت 0.156 و 3.12 مایاکرۆلیتر/میلی لیتر بوون بەدوای یەکدا. وە زەیتەکە چالاکیی دژە بایۆفیلمی مامناوەند بۆ لاوازی نیشان دا.

دەرئەنجامەکان: زەیتی لاڤندەر چالاکیی دژە بەکتریا وابەستە بە ڕێژەی چڕی زەیتەکە لە دژی بەکتریا سەرەتاییەکانی دروستبوونی بایۆفیلم نیشان دا. لە کاتێکدا کە کلۆرهێکسیدین 0.12% ناوچەی ڕێگری گەورەتری بەرهەمهێنا بە گشتی، L. angustifolia EO بە چڕیی بەرزتر، بە تایبەت 15%، بۆ بەکتریای جۆری S. mitis چالاکی دژە بەکتریایی هاوشێوە بوو لەگەڵ کلۆرهێکسیدین. ئەم دۆزینەوانە پێشنیاری توانای ئەو زەیتە دەکەن وەک چارەسەرێکی یارمەتیدەری سروشتی تەواوکەر بۆ ڕێگریکردن لە دروستبوونی بایۆفیلم لە قۆناغەکانی سەرەتادا.

 

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