ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY OF EUCALYPTUS, CINNAMON, AND OREGANO ESSENTIAL OILS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens in recent years has necessitated the development of alternative antimicrobial drugs. Essential oils derived from medicinal plants have attracted significant attention because of their broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. This study investigated the antimicrobial efficacy of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), and oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oils against a panel of clinically relevant bacterial strains. The oils were tested using the agar disk diffusion method. Results demonstrated that all three essential oils exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, with cinnamon oil showing the highest efficacy, followed by oregano and eucalyptus. These findings suggest that these essential oils, particularly cinnamon, hold promise as natural antimicrobial agents with potential applications in pharmaceuticals, food preservation, and alternative medicine.