Antimicrobial activity of several essential oils in beneficial, pathogenic and foodborne bacteria

Abstract

The present study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of different essential oils (lemon, orange, mandarin, laurel, eucalyptus and burro) in beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum ES147 and ATCC 8014, pathogens such as Escherichia coli and a food-altering bacterium, Leuconostoc mesenteroides MS1. For each essential oil, microbial sensitivity assays were performed. Subsequently, the minimal inhibitory concentrations and minimal bactericidal concentrations of the essential oils that had a significant bactericidal effect (at least 10 mm inhibition zone in tree strains) were determined. Lemon, burro and eucalyptus essential oils showed a bactericidal effect in all analyzed strains. Mandarin and orange essential oils presented very low or null antimicrobial inhibition in the strains under study. Burro, laurel, mandarin and orange essential oils did not inhibit or inhibit very little the beneficial bacteria and generated large diameters of inhibition zone in pathogenic and food-altering bacteria. Such essential oils can be considered for addition in films or food coatings.