In vitro antimicrobial activity of essential oils from Mediterranean Apiaceae, Verbenaceae and Lamiaceae against foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria

The aim of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of twelve essential oils, against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, for a potential use in food industry. The antimicrobial activity of essential oils was determined by an agar diffusion method against foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria. Further, bacteriostatic and bactericidal concentrations were determined for each strain that evidenced sensitivity to the oils. All the oils showed bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity against E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium, while B. thermosphacta was inhibited by eight of 12 tested oils. Finally, the pathogenic microorganism L. monocytogenes and lactic acid bacteria strains were affected only by thyme, oregano and vervain oils. The essential oils considered in this research showed a satisfactory antimicrobial activity. The essential oils could be used for the development of novel systems for food preservation.