Synergistic therapeutic effect of the volatile oils of Zingiber officinale and Curcuma longa on Selected Advantageous Pathogens

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Chemical Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, Nigeria

2 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Pure and Applied Sciences, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, Nigeria

10.30476/tips.2025.106390.1292

Abstract

In response to the escalating global drug resistance crisis, this study explores the potential of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) volatile oils as alternative therapeutic agents individually and in combination. These oils were extracted using hydro-distillation and screened for their antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumonia using the Agar well diffusion method. Antioxidant activity of the oils was also explored using DPPH and FRAP. The synergistic antimicrobial effects of the combined volatile oils were evaluated, comparing their ability with conventional antibiotics. The result revealed that the combined oils demonstrated better antimicrobial activity (ZI: 18 mm to 22 mm) than the individual oils (Ginger: ZI: 13 mm to 19 mm, Turmeric: 17 mm to 19 mm) against the bacteria screened. This activity of the combined oils (ZI: 18 mm to 22 mm) was comparable to that of the standard antibiotics: Gentamycin (ZI: 21 mm to 22 mm). DPPH assay revealed a value of 52.22±2.30 μg/mL for the ginger extract and 44.22±2.32 μg/mL for the Turmeric, while FRAP assay revealed a value of 6.22±0.04 μg/g for ginger and 4.10±0.04 μg/g for turmeric. Conclusively, the exploration of volatile oils from ginger and turmeric presents them as viable components in drug formulations for the fight against antimicrobial resistance due to their comparable activity to that of conventional antibiotics, especially in their combined form. 

Highlights

Osinubi Adejoke Deborah (Google Scholar)

Keywords

References

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Trends in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies
Volume 11, Issue 3
September 2025
Pages 225-234

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