Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Antibacterial and antioxidant properties of Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) essential oil: insights into its mode of action
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Research Articles | Published: 19 January, 2026
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Keywords: n Dysphanian , Essential oil, n Salmonella Typhimurium, Antibacterial, GC–MS, Flowcytometry
Abstract
Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants belongs to the family Amaranthaceae and is commonly known as Mexican tea in Hindi as “Khatua”. Salmonella Typhimurium-linked foodborne diseases have been a pervasive global epidemiological burden. The increasing prevalence of antibacterial resistance further exacerbates the threat to food safety and disease management. Dysphania ambrosioides Essential oil (DAEO) was evaluated for its antibacterial, antioxidant, phytochemical profiling, and its antibacterial mode of action. DAEO demonstrated significant MIC at 500 μg/mL against foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ATCC 14028). In -vitro checkerboard assay was done to check the synergistic effect with other essential oils. DAEO with Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf shows synergistic effect with Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI) value 0.375. In vitro antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH, ABTS has IC50 value of 492.3 µg/mL and 34.3 µg/mL respectively and FRAP assay shows 77 µg of DAEO is equivalent to 19.46 µg Ascorbic acid. Antibacterial mode of action was determined by flow cytometry to evaluate membrane integrity and membrane potential; results confirmed disintegrated cell membrane and higher membrane potential at DAEO MIC. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was used to analyze and confirm morphological, intracellular damage and cytoplasmic leakage caused by oil. GC- MS analysis revealed presence of 22 components with major one as α-Terpinene (28.88%) isoascaridol (20%) and ascaridole (32.72%). DAEO can be used as an economical, sustainable, natural preservative and alternative therapeutic agent against foodborne bacteria in pharma and allied science industries.
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Author Information
Bacteriology and Natural Pesticide Laboratory, Department of Botany Deen Dayal, Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur, India