Antimicrobial activity of essential oils on food pathogens

Abstract

The study aimed to screen the antibacterial activity of seven types of essential oils against 5 bacteria and 4 strains of E. coli using disk diffusion and MIC method. The essential oils were more effective against Gram-positive bacteria as compared to Gram-negative species. Thyme and cinnamon essential oils showed strong antimicrobial activity against all microorganisms tested. Especially, the tested essential oils inhibited the growth of multi-antibiotics resistant bacteria isolated from food processing chains, indicating the possibility of their potential use in reality. The MIC values of cinnamon and thyme essential oils against E. coli ATCC 25922, S. typhimurium, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes and P. aeruginosa were 512-1024 µg/mL and 1024-4096 µg/mL, respectively. The present study provided useful information and showed the potential use of cinnamon and thyme essential oils in food storage as natural antimicrobial preservatives.