Evaluation of the In Vitro Antimicrobial Effects of Eight Plant Essential Oils against Common Intestinal Microorganisms
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Abstract:
The in vitro antimicrobial activities of eight edible plant essential oils (cinnamon oil, oregano oil, thyme oil, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, and anise oil) against intestinal pathogens and probiotics were investigated by measuring the inhibition zone diameter, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and the results were compared with those of five antibiotics. All eight plant essential oils had an inhibitory effect on the intestinal pathogens and probiotics. Among them, the best overall antibacterial effect was shown by cinnamon oil and oregano oil, whose inhibitory effects on Aspergillus flavus and probiotics were far superior to those of the antibiotics. The combination of cinnamon oil with oregano oil resulted in asynergetic effect on the inhibition of the intestinal pathogens (fractional inhibitory concentration index [FICI]≤0.75), but had no impact on the growth of probiotics (FICI=1). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the major components of cinnamon oil were cinnamaldehyde (52.17%), o-methoxycinnamaldehyde (15.18%), and coumarin (2.83%). The main components of oregano oil were carvacrol (51.73%), p-cymene (8.50%), and γ-terpinene (7.66%). The mixture of cinnamon oil and oregano oil had an equivalent antibacterial effect with the antibiotics, and had a unique antifungal effect that the antibiotics did not possess. This study provides an effective theoretical basis for the development of a new, green, safe, and effective alternative to antibiotics.
