Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the extracts from cashew nutshell and castor oil plant / Avaliação da atividade antimicrobiana dos extratos da casca de caju e do óleo ricinoleico

Abstract

Essential oils are natural extracts rich in bioactive compounds that possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, and insecticidal properties. For this reason, they are investigated as a possible alternative to the use of antibiotics. Micellar and aqueous solutions from extracts derived from the cashew nut shell liquid and the ricinoleic acid extracted from the castor oil plant were screened to determine their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against common bacteria, such as Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The cashew nut shell oil showed activity against Gram-positive bacteria with the micellar suspension having the best results. Neither the micellar nor the aqueous solutions of the castor bean extract showed antimicrobial activity in this study.