The cinnamon oil could be the key in the prevention of superbugs

As antibiotics become less effective against superbugs, a Swinburne researcher has been focusing on traditional agents to alter the behavior of bacteria rather than killing bacteria.

As part of his PhD studies, Dr. Sanjida Halim Topa studied cinnamaldehyde, a major component of cinnamon essential oil. She found that it inhibited the development of the biofilm, a sticky film of bacteria – like the plaque that forms on the teeth – that can cause persistent infections, which resist even the most powerful antibiotics.

Topa's research was published in Microbiology .

There is an urgent need to develop alternatives to antibiotics to treat chronic biofilm-induced infections, as can occur with urinary catheters and artificial joints. Although many previous studies have reported the antimicrobial activity of cinnamon essential oil, it is not widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, says Dr. Topa.

"We were looking to determine the molecular activity of this oil. It is the compound that gives its flavor to cinnamon. "

Developing Means to Disrupt Biofilms

Rather than killing bacteria, Dr. Topa sought to alter the behavior of bacteria by disrupting bacterial communication to prevent biofilm formation. [19659005] "We hypothesized that the use of natural antimicrobials, such as essential oils, could interfere in the formation of biofilms. Cinnamaldehyde concentrations in different stages of biofilm development.

Dr. Topa has tested the effect of different concentrations of cinnamaldehyde on biofilms formed from the pathogenic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. She discovered that a sublethal concentration of cinnamaldehyde controlled the dispersion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the development of the biofilm.

"Humans have long used natural products to treat infections, and the focus is again on these antimicrobial compounds. Natural products can offer a promising solution to this problem, "says Dr. Topa.

This research was undertaken with colleagues from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Topa is currently studying the Incorporation of cinnamaldehyde into the nanofibers in the dressings.

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More information:
Sanjida Halim Topa et al. Cinnamaldehyde disrupts biofilm formation and the teeming motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Microbiology (2018). DOI: 10.1099 / mic.0.000692