This study was about the effect of Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) volatile oil that cultivated in Iraq, on different bacterial species and evaluates the cytotoxic activity of oil on some cancer cell lines. The essential oil was screened against two gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholera ) and two gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aurous, Bacillus cereus ). The cytotoxic effect of oil was carried on two cancer cell lines (L20B and MCF-7).The oil affected both gram negative and gram positive strains. Among the selected bacterial cultures, the highest antibacterial activity was recorded against Stap. aurous The plant oil showed an inhibitory effect on L20B cell line growth rate and MCF-7 cell line growth rate after 24 hr. for almost all concentrations in comparison with control.

Key words: Cymbopogon citratus, volatile oil, cytotoxicity.Antibacterial activity,L20B cell line, MCF-7 cell line.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.24086/biohs2022/paper.646