Laboratory testing of the antimicrobial effects of kyphi on a variety of micro‑organisms
Laboratory testing of the antimicrobial effects of kyphi on a variety of micro‑organisms

Summary/Abstract: Kyphi (kApt/kApw) was used as both incense and medicament during a very long period in ancient Egypt, as isattested in Papyrus Ebers and other sources. The present work is a continuation of recent papers and a bookconcerning the comparative study of the ancient Egyptian kyphi and the Orthodox Holy Chrism, with freshlyconfected kyphi containing all its 16 ingredients, at the premises of the Oenological Chemical Laboratory of the Agricultural University of Athens. Based on the recent results obtained from two independent Laboratories,this study attempts, in a third independent Laboratory, both to replicate a part of the previous experimentsand to extend the scientific investigation, comparing the effectiveness of ancient Egyptian kyphi and puresmoke on other micro‑organisms. The possible antimicrobial effects of pure smoke and of kyphi‑smoke areinvestigated by performing fumigation experiments on bacterial and fungal cultures. Thus, the antifungaland antimicrobial activity of kyphi is studied by performing fumigation experiments to cultivations of Morga‑nella morganii W. ssp morganii [Gram (–) bacterium], Escherichia coli M. [Gram (–) bacterium], Staphylococcushominis K.&S. ssp hominis [Gram (+) coccus], Staphylococcus epidermidis W.&W. [Gram (+) coccus], Klebsiellapneumoniæ S.&T. ssp pneumoniae [Gram (–) bacterium], and Candida albicans (R.) B. [Gram (+) fungus] indifferent conditions. The results show that the action of fumigation (pure smoke and kyphi) on selective anddifferential culture media has almost no effect on the growth of micro‑organisms. However, there is a cleardirect effect of smoke (pure smoke and kyphi) on the micro‑organisms that appears stronger with kyphi inall dilutions (and mostly in 1/1000). The experimental data reinforce the evidence from previous studies thatthe impact of kyphi on yeasts is mostly greater than that on bacteria and cocci, with indeed notable resultsat the 1/1000 dilution. The addition of all components of kyphi did not negate its antimicrobial activity butenhanced it, mainly against Gram (–) bacteria and less against Gram (+) cocci. Thus, the antimicrobial actionof kyphi should be considered collectively, together with all its ingredients.

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