Antimicrobial Activity of Five Essential Oils against Bacteria and Fungi Responsible for Urinary Tract Infections

Abstract

Urinary tract infections are frequently encountered in small animal practice. <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Enterococcus</i> spp. are the most common agents associated to these infections, even though other bacteria and yeasts, such as <i>Candida albicans</i> and <i>Candida famata,</i> may be involved. In view of the increasing problem of the multi-drug resistance, the aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of essential oils obtained from star anise (<i>Illicium verum</i> Hook.f.), basil (<i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L.), origanum (<i>Origanum vulgare</i> L.), clary sage (<i>Salvia sclarea</i> L.) and thymus (<i>Thymus vulgaris</i> L.) against multidrug-resistant strains of <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Enterococcus</i> spp., <i>Candida albicans</i> and <i>Candida famata</i> previously isolated from dogs and cats with urinary tract infections. Enterococci were resistant to <i>Illicium verum</i> and <i>Salvia sclarea</i>, such as <i>Candida</i> to <i>Salvia sclarea</i>. <i>Thymus vulgaris</i> and <i>Origanum vulgare</i> essential oils showed the best activity against all the tested pathogens, so they could be proposed for the formulation of external and/or intravesical washes in small animals.