Effect of essential oil of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) leaves to treat human pathogenic bacteria and to manage plant pathogenic fungi

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) are complex natural mixtures that can be extracted from plant raw materials such as flowers, leaves, stems, roots, fruits, and fruit peels. Essential oils are being studied for many decades, but a growing interest has emerged in the recent decades due to a desire for a rediscovery of natural remedies [1]. EOs are highly interesting for pharmaceutical uses and many activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound-healing and anxiolytic activities have been discovered by many researchers. The oils extracted from different parts exhibit different biological and medicinal properties even though they have been extracted from the same plant [2]. EOs from spices and herbs are used in traditional medicine in many Asian countries since ancient times. The nutmeg tree gives two spices like nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg and mace have been used traditionally for thousands of years by many cultures as flavoring agents. Nutmeg volatile oils exhibit antibacterial activity against different types of animal and plant pathogens, food poisoning, and spoilage bacteria [3]. EOs extracted from nutmeg and mace have been tested for different bioactivities by many researchers, but of the leaves of nutmeg very rarely. However, leaves of some spice trees are also used for cooking and medicinal purposes in their fresh or dried form [4]. For example, both fresh and dried leaves of cinnamon are used for culinary purposes. Further, some spice leaves are used as homemade remedies for diarrhea, fever, cough, etc. in traditional medicine in Asian countries. Many researchers have recommended different parts of trees of spices including leaves for the development of functional foods, nutraceuticals and drug recovery as herbal drugs have fewer side effects or toxicity compared to the synthetic drugs [5]. Many studies have been conducted to discover antimicrobial activities of the spice nutmeg and mace, but the leaves have been tested very rarely. Therefore, in In this study, leaves of nutmeg were tested to discover it's antibacterial and antifungal activities.