Azadirachta indica leaf essential oil as control of biofilm producing microorganims from hospital environment

Abstract

Microorganisms grow on surfaces to form biofilms to adapt and protect from environmental stresses. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant biofilm-producing microorganisms in hospital environment and the effectiveness of essential oil from Azadirachta indica leaf as a control of biofilm-producing microorganisms. Swabs of surgical equipment (SE) and high-touch surfaces (HTS) were collected Hospitals in, and microorganisms were isolated, isolates were screened for biofilm production using standard microbiological methods. The biofilm producing isolates were subjected to commercial antibiotics using the disc diffusion method, and isolates resistant to more than three classes of antibiotics were used for further study. Neem leaves were collected, and the essential oil was extracted using the hydro-distillation method. Biofilm-producing bacteria showed higher antibiotic resistance to gentamicin (72.50%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (52.50%) and cefixime (35%). Essential oil from Azadirachta indica leaf had higher inhibitory effects against antibiotic-resistant biofilm-producing bacteria (B. niacin, E. aerogenes, P. aeruginosa and S. lentus) and fungi (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusaruim culmorum and Aspergillus penicilloides). The chemical compounds such as 1R-.alpha.-Pinene (47.13%) and Ocimene (21.04%) were the most abundant in the essential oil of A. indica leaf. The presence of these bioactive compounds that inhibited biofilm-forming microorganisms in the oil could be that it also serves as an antimicrobial. Hence, it could be used as a disinfectant in the hospital environment to control biofilm-forming microorganisms.