Antibacterial and Potentiating Activity of the Essential Oil of Citrus bergamia Risso (Rutaceae)
Fábio Caboclo Moreira1, José Thyálisson da Costa Silva1, Damiana Gonçalves de Sousa Freitas1, Ademar Maia Filho1, Gabriel de Oliveira Lôbo2, Simone Galdino de Sousa1, Germana de Alencar Maia Luz3, Cícera Natalia Figueirêdo Leite Gondim1, Fábio Souza Ananias Oliveira4, Julimery Gonçalves Ferreira Macedo1, Rizelle de Oliveira Barros4, Jefferson de Sales Diodato4, Maria de Lourdes Oliveira Honorato1, Maria Eloyse de Melo Sousa1, Rafael Pereira da Cruz5, Henrique Douglas Melo Coutinho1, José Weverton Almeida-Bezerra1*
1Regional University of Cariri, Crato – CE, Brazil.
2Cecape College, Juazeiro do Norte – CE, Brazil.
3Higher Education Association of Piauí , Teresina – PI, Brazil.
4Federal University of Cariri – Crato – CE, Brazil.
5Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife – PE, Brazil.
*Corresponding Author: Prof. Dr. Jose Weverton Almeida-Bezerra, Department of Biological Chemistry, Regional University of Cariri, 63105-000, Crato, CE, Brazil.
https://doi.org/10.58624/SVOAMB.2025.06.019
Received: September 05, 2025
Published: October 22, 2025
Citation: Moreira FC, da Costa Silva JT, Freitas DGS, Filho AM, Lo bo GO, Sousa SG, Luz GAM, Gondim CNFL, Oliveira FSA, Macedo JGF, Barros RO, Diodato JS, Honorato MLO, Sousa MEM, Cruz RP, Coutinho HDM, Almeida-Bezerra JW. Antibacterial and Potentiating Activity of the Essential Oil of Citrus bergamia Risso (Rutaceae). SVOA Microbiology 2025, 6:5, 178-182. doi:10.58624/SVOAMB.2025.06.019
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance represents a growing threat to global public health, exacerbated by the improper use of antibiotics. This situation drives the search for alternative therapies, such as essential oils from medicinal plants of the Rutaceae family, including Citrus bergamia (bergamot), which is recognized for its potential antibacterial properties. This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of Citrus bergamia essential oil (CBEO) against standard and multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains, and investigated its effects in combination with clinically used antibiotics. The CBEO was commercially obtained, and its inhibitory capacity was determined using the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), ranging from 0.5 to 512 μg/mL. Interactions with antibiotics were tested at subinhibitory concentrations, and data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. The results revealed that CBEO did not exhibit significant antibacterial activity, and no relevant potentiating effect was observed when combined with antibiotics. Furthermore, an antagonistic effect was observed in the combination with ampicillin against S. aureus, as evidenced by an increase in the antibiotic's MIC.
Keywords: Pharmacology, In Vitro Research, Plant-Derived Essence, Microbiology.
