Antimicrobial activity of geraniol: an integrative review

Geraniol presents many pharmacological properties including antifungal and antibacterial activity. The objective of this study was to conduct a review of the literature concerning in vitro antimicrobial activity, anti-biofilm action, and association studies with drugs and geraniol. The study was based on a literature search from 2007 to 2019, in the databases Lilacs, Scielo, Science Direct, and PubMed. The results of 21 articles 8were selected where the most studied genera were Candida and Staphylococcus. Broth microdilution methods were the most frequently used and generally presented MIC values of ≤600 µg/mL. In the association studies, the most used technique was Checkerboard, where combinations of geraniol and standard antimicrobials were found to be synergic for most strains. Geraniol also showed antibiotic activity against the genus Staphylococcus. From our review results, it is clear that the phytoconstituent geraniol presents antimicrobial action against various species.