{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T04:19:34Z","timestamp":1772252374506,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,16]],"date-time":"2018-10-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1539648000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antibiotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Lyme disease is the most common vector borne-disease in the United States (US). While the majority of the Lyme disease patients can be cured with 2\u20134 weeks antibiotic treatment, about 10\u201320% of patients continue to suffer from persisting symptoms. While the cause of this condition is unclear, persistent infection was proposed as one possibility. It has recently been shown that B. burgdorferi develops dormant persisters in stationary phase cultures that are not killed by the current Lyme antibiotics, and there is interest in identifying novel drug candidates that more effectively kill such forms. We previously identified some highly active essential oils with excellent activity against biofilm and stationary phase B. burgdorferi. Here, we screened another 35 essential oils and found 10 essential oils (Allium sativum L. bulbs, Pimenta officinalis Lindl. berries, Cuminum cyminum L. seeds, Cymbopogon martini var. motia Bruno grass, Commiphora myrrha (T. Nees) Engl. resin, Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. flowers, Amyris balsamifera L. wood, Thymus vulgaris L. leaves, Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. fruits, Eucalyptus citriodora Hook. leaves) and the active component of cinnamon bark cinnamaldehyde (CA) at a low concentration of 0.1% have strong activity against stationary phase B. burgdorferi. At a lower concentration of 0.05%, essential oils of Allium sativum L. bulbs, Pimenta officinalis Lindl. berries, Cymbopogon martini var. motia Bruno grass and CA still exhibited strong activity against the stationary phase B. burgdorferi. CA also showed strong activity against replicating B. burgdorferi, with a MIC of 0.02% (or 0.2 \u03bcg\/mL). In subculture studies, the top five essential oil hits Allium sativum L. bulbs, Pimenta officinalis Lindl. berries, Commiphora myrrha (T. Nees) Engl. resin, Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. flowers, and Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. fruits completely eradicated all B. burgdorferi stationary phase cells at 0.1%, while Cymbopogon martini var. motia Bruno grass, Eucalyptus citriodora Hook. leaves, Amyris balsamifera L. wood, Cuminum cyminum L. seeds, and Thymus vulgaris L. leaves failed to do so as shown by visible spirochetal growth after 21-day subculture. At concentration of 0.05%, only Allium sativum L. bulbs essential oil and CA sterilized the B. burgdorferi stationary phase culture, as shown by no regrowth during subculture, while Pimenta officinalis Lindl. berries, Commiphora myrrha (T. Nees) Engl. resin, Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. flowers and Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. fruits essential oils all had visible growth during subculture. Future studies are needed to determine if these highly active essential oils could eradicate persistent B. burgdorferi infection in vivo.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics7040089","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,16]],"date-time":"2018-10-16T11:07:51Z","timestamp":1539688071000},"page":"89","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Identification of Essential Oils with Strong Activity against Stationary Phase Borrelia burgdorferi"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Jie","family":"Feng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wanliang","family":"Shi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Judith","family":"Miklossy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Alzheimer Research Centre, Prevention Alzheimer International Foundation, Martigny-Croix CP 16 1921, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Genevieve M.","family":"Tauxe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Conor J.","family":"McMeniman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5908-307X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ying","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"CDC (2018, March 07). Lyme Disease, Available online: http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/lyme\/."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1089","DOI":"10.1086\/508667","article-title":"The clinical assessment, treatment, and prevention of lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and babesiosis: Clinical practice guidelines by the infectious diseases society of America","volume":"43","author":"Wormser","year":"2006","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.1007\/s11136-012-0126-6","article-title":"Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome symptomatology and the impact on life functioning: Is there something there?","volume":"22","author":"Aucott","year":"2013","journal-title":"Qual. Life Res."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"263","DOI":"10.1006\/jaut.2000.0495","article-title":"Autoimmune mechanisms in antibiotic treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis","volume":"16","author":"Steere","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Autoimmun."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2652","DOI":"10.1172\/JCI58813","article-title":"Spirochete antigens persist near cartilage after murine Lyme borreliosis therapy","volume":"122","author":"Bockenstedt","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Clin. Investig."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hodzic, E., Imai, D., Feng, S., and Barthold, S.W. (2014). Resurgence of Persisting Non-Cultivable Borrelia burgdorferi following Antibiotic Treatment in Mice. PLoS ONE, 9.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0086907"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Embers, M.E., Barthold, S.W., Borda, J.T., Bowers, L., Doyle, L., Hodzic, E., Jacobs, M.B., Hasenkampf, N.R., Martin, D.S., and Narasimhan, S. (2012). Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi in rhesus macaques following antibiotic treatment of disseminated infection. PLoS ONE, 7.","DOI":"10.1371\/annotation\/4cafed66-fb84-4589-a001-131d9c50aea6"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1728","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.01050-07","article-title":"Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi following antibiotic treatment in mice","volume":"52","author":"Hodzic","year":"2008","journal-title":"Antimicrob. Agents Chemother."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"937","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/cit939","article-title":"Xenodiagnosis to detect Borrelia burgdorferi infection: A first-in-human study","volume":"58","author":"Marques","year":"2014","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1128\/jcm.35.1.111-116.1997","article-title":"Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi in experimentally infected dogs after antibiotic treatment","volume":"35","author":"Straubinger","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1136","DOI":"10.2741\/1291","article-title":"Persistent and dormant tubercle bacilli and latent tuberculosis","volume":"9","author":"Zhang","year":"2004","journal-title":"Front. Biosci."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2223","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.06288-11","article-title":"Targeting persisters for tuberculosis control","volume":"56","author":"Zhang","year":"2012","journal-title":"Antimicrob. Agents Chemother."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4616","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.00864-15","article-title":"Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, forms drug-tolerant persister cells","volume":"59","author":"Sharma","year":"2015","journal-title":"Antimicrob. Agents Chemother."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Feng, J., Auwaerter, P.G., and Zhang, Y. (2015). Drug Combinations against Borrelia burgdorferi persisters in vitro: Eradication achieved by using daptomycin, cefoperazone and doxycycline. PLoS ONE, 10.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0117207"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6288","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.00883-15","article-title":"Persister development by Borrelia burgdorferi populations in vitro","volume":"59","author":"Caskey","year":"2015","journal-title":"Antimicrob. Agents Chemother."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e49","DOI":"10.1038\/emi.2014.53","article-title":"Identification of novel activity against Borrelia burgdorferi persisters using an FDA approved drug library","volume":"3","author":"Feng","year":"2014","journal-title":"Emerg. Microbes Infect."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1744","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2016.01744","article-title":"Ceftriaxone pulse dosing fails to eradicate biofilm-like microcolony B. burgdorferi persisters which are sterilized by daptomycin\/doxycycline\/cefuroxime without pulse dosing","volume":"7","author":"Feng","year":"2016","journal-title":"Front. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2017.00169","article-title":"Selective Essential oils from spice or culinary herbs have high activity against stationary phase and biofilm Borrelia burgdorferi","volume":"4","author":"Feng","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front. Med."},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"(2018, September 13). GC\/MS TESTING. Available online: https:\/\/www.theplantguru.com\/gc-ms-testing."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Wikler, M.A., and National Committee for Clinical Laboratory (2005). Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing: Fifteenth Informational Supplement."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (2000). The United States Pharmacopeia."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Feng, J., Wang, T., Zhang, S., Shi, W., and Zhang, Y. (2014). An Optimized SYBR Green I\/PI Assay for Rapid Viability Assessment and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing for Borrelia burgdorferi. PLoS ONE, 9.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0111809"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e31","DOI":"10.1038\/emi.2015.31","article-title":"Identification of new compounds with high activity against stationary phase Borrelia burgdorferi from the NCI compound collection","volume":"4","author":"Feng","year":"2015","journal-title":"Emerg. Microbes Infect."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lawson, L.D. (1998). Garlic: A Review of Its Medicinal Effects and Indicated Active Compounds. Phytomedicines of Europe, American Chemical Society.","DOI":"10.1021\/bk-1998-0691.ch014"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106","DOI":"10.4103\/0973-7847.65321","article-title":"Extracts from the history and medical properties of garlic","volume":"4","author":"Petrovska","year":"2010","journal-title":"Pharmacogn. Rev."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1042","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2621.1980.tb07508.x","article-title":"Sensitivity of some common food-borne bacteria to the spices sage, rosemary, and allspice","volume":"45","author":"Shelef","year":"1980","journal-title":"J. Food Sci."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2060","DOI":"10.37358\/RC.17.9.5822","article-title":"The synergistic antioxidant effect and antimicrobial efficacity of propolis, myrrh and chlorhexidine as beneficial toothpaste components","volume":"68","author":"Lisa","year":"2017","journal-title":"Rev. Chim.-Buchar."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"356","DOI":"10.1055\/s-2000-8532","article-title":"Local anaesthetic, antibacterial and antifungal properties of sesquiterpenes from myrrh","volume":"66","author":"Dolara","year":"2000","journal-title":"Planta Med."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ritu, A., and Avijit, M. (2017). Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of rhizomes of hedychium spicatum. Phcog. J., 9.","DOI":"10.5530\/pj.2017.6s.159"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.1002\/cbdv.200800349","article-title":"Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from different parts of Litsea cubeba","volume":"7","author":"Wang","year":"2010","journal-title":"Chem. Biodivers."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10406","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jafc.7b04344","article-title":"Chemistry, antimicrobial mechanisms, and antibiotic activities of cinnamaldehyde against pathogenic bacteria in animal feeds and human foods","volume":"65","author":"Friedman","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phymed.2006.11.005","article-title":"Cinnamaldehyde\u2014A potential antidiabetic agent","volume":"14","author":"Prabuseenivasan","year":"2007","journal-title":"Phytomedicine"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Feketa, V.V., and Marrelli, S.P. (2015). Systemic Administration of the TRPV3 Ion Channel Agonist Carvacrol Induces Hypothermia in Conscious Rodents. PLoS ONE, 10.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0141994"},{"key":"ref_34","first-page":"1","article-title":"Mechanisms of Pyrazinamide Action and Resistance","volume":"2","author":"Zhang","year":"2013","journal-title":"Microbiol. Spectr."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1099\/0022-1317-51-1-42","article-title":"Conditions that may affect the results of susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to pyrazinamide","volume":"51","author":"Zhang","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Med. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6867","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.01481-16","article-title":"Disruption of membrane by colistin kills uropathogenic Escherichia coli persisters and enhances killing of other antibiotics","volume":"60","author":"Cui","year":"2016","journal-title":"Antimicrob. Agents Chemother."}],"container-title":["Antibiotics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-6382\/7\/4\/89\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T15:25:53Z","timestamp":1760196353000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-6382\/7\/4\/89"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,16]]},"references-count":36,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,12]]}},"alternative-id":["antibiotics7040089"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/antibiotics7040089","relation":{"has-preprint":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1101\/260091","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["2079-6382"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-6382","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,16]]}}}