Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oils

Abstract

Essential oils are one of the most important groups of plant constituents responsible for biological activity of herbs and spices, and especially for their medicinal and antimicrobial properties. Numerous in vitro studies have demonstrated activity of different essential oils against bacteria, moulds and yeast. The power of essential oils is connected with their main constituents. The oils containing phenols such as thymol, carvacrol, and eugenol, exhibit the most pronounced activity against all kinds of microorganisms. This chapter gives a literature review of recent in vitro investigations concerning antibacterial and antifungal activity of essential oils. The oils recognized as the most valuable antimicrobial agents and used as food ingredients will be presented, namely thyme oil, clove oil, different cinnamon, mint and citrus oils, and rosemary oil.