Research from Kamla Nehru Mahavidyalaya, L.A.D. & Smt. R.P. College and D.R.B. Sindhu Mahavidyalaya, in India, indicates natural ajowan oil is an effective natural antimicrobial agent against microbes associated with acne, dandruff and cosmetic contamination.
According to the study, published in Materials Today: Proceedings, the antimicrobial activity of the oil was assessed by agar diffusion method and measurement of zone of inhibition. Dried fruits of ajowan were collected from a local Indian market and subjected to steam distillation to obtain the test oil. Different concentrations of the oil were used to test against microbes of interest.
Specific to acne and dandruff, the following microbes were assessed: Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Candida albicans and two Malassezia furfurs. For cosmetic preservation, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Aspergillus niger were evaluated. At 100%, the oil inhibited the growth of eight of the nine microbes (except A. niger); at lower concentrations, it inhibited six of the nine (except A. niger and the M. furfurs.)
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