Title: Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Melaleuca cajuputi Essential Oil from Vietnam
Authors: Phan Dinh Tuan, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, Nguyen Le Hanh Nguyen
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Pages: 64-70
Publication Date: 2026/01/28
Abstract:
Melaleuca cajuputi Powell is an aromatic plant used in Vietnam for its antiseptic and therapeutic purposes. To date, there is almost no scientific evidence for the Vietnamese plant material M. cajuputi essential oil. This study aims at the in vitro determination of the antimicrobial activity of Vietnamese M. cajuputi essential oil. Antimicrobial activity o oils obtained from hydrodistillated fresh leaves of M. cajuputi was tested in vitro for representative gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and some fungus using standard procedures. Essential oil obtained from M. cajuputi leaves tested in this study showed varying degrees of antimicrobial activity and was found to be active on all the tested microorganisms. Specifically, there was stronger antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, where inhibition zones were larger, but there was moderate activity against gram-negative and fungal strains. This study showed that the essential oil of M. cajuputi is used for its antimicrobial properties, supporting the findings of previous studies. Essential oils of M. cajuputi in Vietnam is a potential candidate for the development of antimicrobial products made from essential oil and for research on its antimicrobial properties.