2. Academic Validation
  3. Tea Tree Oil Nanoemulsion Potentiates Antibiotics against Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli

Tea Tree Oil Nanoemulsion Potentiates Antibiotics against Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli

  • ACS Infect Dis. 2022 Aug 12;8(8):1618-1626. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00223.
Simin Wei 1 2 3,  Qiming Tian 1 2 3,  Xin Zhao 1 2 3,  Xiaopan Liu 1 2 3,  Hosameldeen Mohamed Husien 1 2 3 4,  Mingjiang Liu 1 2 3,  Ruonan Bo 1 2 3,  Jingui Li 1 2 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P. R. China.
  • 2 Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, P. R. China.
  • 3 Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
  • 4 College of Veterinary Medicine, Albutana University, Rufaa 22217, Al Jazirah, Sudan.
PMID: 35854664 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00223
Abstract

Extensive efforts are underway to overcome the rising prevalence of Antibiotic resistance. Combination therapy may be a potential method to treat multidrug-resistant (MDR) Bacterial infections. In this study, tea tree essential oil (TTO) nanoemulsion (nanoTTO) was used in combination with Antibiotics to kill microbes. Results showed that nanoTTO enhanced the activities of multiple Antibiotics against MDR Escherichia coli (E. coli), and its antimicrobial activity was not changed against bacteria that were cultured in the presence of nanoTTO for 30 passages. Further studies to visualize and quantify intracellular Antibiotics concentrations identified that nanoTTO increased the drug accumulation in MDR E. coli by disrupting outer and inner membranes and inhibiting the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump involved in membrane permeability. In addition, nanoTTO was effective in enhancing Antibiotic efficacy in the Galleria mellonella Infection model and mouse peritonitis model, suggesting a potential strategy against MDR Bacterial infections.

Keywords

antibiotics; combination; multidrug-resistant; nanoemulsion; tea tree oil.

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