Antimicrobial activity of copaiba oil: A review and a call for further research.

Copaiba oil has been used for more than 390 years, however, considering the time of empirical use, there are a scarce number of publications on its activities. This essential oil is a phytomedicine proven to be efficient against some microorganisms. However, different from other phytomedicines which are well established, antimicrobial studies on copaiba oil can present some bias due to the lack of standardization. This review; summarizes recent works, from 2009 to 2016, into the antibacterial and antifungal activities of copaiba oil; discusses issues affecting studies on this oil; and calls for more in vitro and clinical studies.

Influence of melaleuca and copaiba oils on Candida albicans adhesion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of Melaleuca alternifolia and Copaifera officinalis in inhibiting the adhesion of Candida albicans biofilm. BACKGROUND: Over 65% of denture wearers suffer from denture stomatitis, which is one of the most prevalent forms of oral candidiasis. This disease is characterised by the inflammation of the oral mucosa in contact with the contaminated denture. The contaminated denture contributes to the switch of C. albicans from yeast to its pathogenic hyphal form. Candida albicans adheres and colonises the polymethylmethacrylate resin surfaces and thus contributes to the development of denture stomatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of M. alternifolia and Co. officinalis was assessed by the agar dilution method. Sixty-six thermopolymerised acrylic resin squares were used and treated with phosphate-buffered saline, sodium hypochlorite 1%, melaleuca 0.75%, melaleuca 0.375%, melaleuca 0.188% and copaiba 10%. For adherence and biofilm formation, the treated squares were placed in six-well tissue culture plates containing 1 × 10(7)  cells/ml of ATCC1023 or SC5314 in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium, and after 12 h, the planktonic cells were counted. RESULTS: Copaiba oil did not inhibit C. albicans growth. However, melaleuca oil showed an MIC value of 0.375% (3.4 mg/ml) for ATCC10231 and 0.093% (0.84 mg/ml) for SC5314. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that M. alternifolia oil inhibited the growth of C. albicans. Moreover, both oils promoted significant adhesion reduction in the tested strains. These findings suggest the possibility of using these oils in prophylaxes against candidiasis.

Bacteriostatic effect of copaiba oil (Copaifera officinalis) against Streptococcus mutans.

This study evaluated the inhibitory activity of copaiba oil (Copaifera officinalis against the cariogenic microorganism, Streptococcus mutans. For such purpose, a minimum inhibition concentration test of copaiba oil against S. mutans was performed, using the serial dilution in broth technique, with a negative control, a positive control (0.12% chlorhexidine) and a 10% copaíba oil solution as a test. A minimum bactericidal concentration test with tubes presenting microbial inhibition was also conduced. In the minimum inhibitory concentration test, copaiba oil showed inhibition of bacterial growth at all concentrations tested up to 0.78 µL/mL of the 10% copaiba oil solution in the broth. In addition, the negative control had no inhibition, and the 0.12% chlorhexidine solution was effective up to 6.25 µL/mL in the broth. Copaiba oil showed a bacteriostatic activity against S. mutans at low concentrations, and could be a an option of phytotherapic agent to be used against cariogenic bacteria in the prevention of caries disease.

Bacteriostatic effect of copaiba oil (Copaifera officinalis) against Streptococcus mutans

This study evaluated the inhibitory activity of copaiba oil (Copaifera officinalis against the cariogenic microorganism, Streptococcus mutans. For such purpose, a minimum inhibition concentration test of copaiba oil against S. mutans was performed, using the serial dilution in broth technique, with a negative control, a positive control (0.12 percent chlorhexidine) and a 10 percent copaíba oil solution as a test. A minimum bactericidal concentration test with tubes presenting microbial inhibition was also conduced. In the minimum inhibitory concentration test, copaiba oil showed inhibition of bacterial growth at all concentrations tested up to 0.78 µL/mL of the 10 percent copaiba oil solution in the broth. In addition, the negative control had no inhibition, and the 0.12 percent chlorhexidine solution was effective up to 6.25 µL/mL in the broth. Copaiba oil showed a bacteriostatic activity against S. mutans at low concentrations, and could be a an option of phytotherapic agent to be used against cariogenic bacteria in the prevention of caries disease.

Este estudo avaliou a atividade inibitória do óleo de copaíba (Copaifera officinalis contra o microrganismo cariogênico, Streptococcus mutans. Para isso, foi realizado um teste de concentração mínima inibitória do óleo de copaíba contra S. mutans, utilizando a técnica de diluição seriada em caldo, com um controle negativo, um controle positivo (clorexidina a 0,12 por cento) e uma solução de óleo de copaíba 10 por cento como teste. Também foi conduzido um teste de concentração mínima bactericida com os tubos que apresentaram inibição microbiana. No teste de concentração inibitória mínima, o óleo de copaíba mostrou inibição do crescimento bacteriano em todas as concentrações testadas até 0,78 µL/mL da solução a 10 por cento do óleo de copaíba no caldo. Além disso, o controle negativo não teve nenhuma inibição, e a solução de clorexidina 0,12 por cento foi eficaz até 6,25 µL/mL no caldo. O óleo de copaíba mostrou uma atividade bacteriostática contra S. mutans em baixas concentrações, apresentando-se assim como uma opção de fitoterápico a ser utilizado contra bactérias cariogênicas na prevenção de cáries.

Análise da atividade antimicrobiana dos óleos de dopaíba (Copaifera officinalis) e da melaleuca (Melaleuca alternifolia) sobre Fusobacterium nucleatum e Porphyromonas gingivalis: determinação das concentrações inibitórias e bactericidas mínimas e efeito de concentrações subinibitórias sobre a agregação / Antimicrobial activity of copaiba (Copaifera officinalis) and melaleuca (Melaleuca alternifolia) oils on Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum: determination of minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations and subinibitory effect on the aggregation

A cavidade bucal é um habitat microbiano complexo que apresenta mais de 500 espécies bacterianas como componentes da microbiota. A saúde periodontal está estabelecida quando há equilíbrio entre os microrganismos patogênicos e o hospedeiro. O digluconato de clorexidina é um dos antimicrobianos bucais mais utilizados, no entanto, essa substância tem sido associada a alguns efeitos colaterais indesejáveis. Os óleos de copaíba e de melaleuca tem sido estudados como importantes fitoterápicos, devido aos seus diversos efeitos, entre eles ação antibacteriana. Partindo-se do princípio de que o óleo copaíba e de melaleuca possuem atividade antimicrobiana e de que não há dados suficientes na literatura utilizando esses fitoterápicos sobre Porphyromonas gingivalis e Fusobacterium nucleatum, foram preparados testes de Concentração Inibitória Mínima (CIM) e Concentração Bactericida Mínima (CBM) das bactérias Fusobacterium nucleatum (ATCC 25586) e Porphyromonas gingivalis (ATCC 3327) frente ao digluconato de clorexidina e aos óleos provindos de Copaifera officinalis e de Melaleuca alternifólia. Realizaram-se ainda testes para determinação de Concentração Subinibitória (CS) e ensaios para determinar a capacidade de autoagregação e coagregação dessas bactérias expostas às concentrações subinibitórias das soluções testadas. Como controles foram utilizados apenas meio de cultura e meio de cultura acrescido de Tween 80. Todos os óleos utilizados tiveram sua composição analisada por cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massa. O óleo de melaleuca, após identificação de sua composição, apresentou, respectivamente, os seguintes constituintes em maiores concentrações: terpin-4-ol, -terpineno, -terpineno, terpinoleno e 1,8-cineol. O óleo de copaíba apresentou como principais constituintes, respectivamente, trans-cariofileno, germacreno B, -humuleno, germacreno D e -copaeno. Os resultados obtidos como CIM para F.nucleatum foram semelhantes à CBM em todas as...

The oral cavity is a complex microbial habitat that has more than 500 bacterial species as components of the microbiota. Periodontal health is established when there is equilibrium between pathogens and host. The chlorhexidine digluconate is one of the most commonly used oral antibiotics, however, this substance has been associated with some undesirable side effects. Copaiba and melaleuca oils have been studied as important herbal medicines because of their effects, including antibacterial action. Based on the principle that the copaiba oil and tea tree have an antimicrobial activity and that is no sufficient data in the literature using these herbal medicines against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests of Fusobacterium nucleatum (ATCC 25586) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (ATCC 3327) related to chlorhexidine digluconate and oils coming from Copaifera officinalis and Melaleuca alternifolia, were prepared. Assays were performed to determine the subinibitory concentration and the capacity of those bacteria to autoaggregation and coaggregation when exposed to subinibitory concentrations, previously tested. Medium and medium added Tween 80 were used as a control. All oils used had their composition analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The tea tree oil mainly chemical compounds were identified as terpin-4-ol, -terpinen, -terpinen, terpinolene and 1,8-cineole while copaiba oil presented as its main constituents trans-caryophyllene, germacrene B, -humulene, germacrene D and -copaene. The MIC results for F.nucleatum were similar to the CBM data in all solutions. For the bacterium P. gingivalis, all solutions tested inhibited bacterial growth, however, the results obtained during the determination of CBM showed that the copaiba oil was bacteriostatic. All solutions tested inhibited the autoaggregation process but only...