Antibacterial effects of Iranian essential oils compared with antibiotics against food pathogens: Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium

This study determined the antibacterial activity of various volumes of five essential oils from Lamiaceae natural plants. Three antibiotics—tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and penicillin—were compared against gram-positive bacteria that are food pathogens. The disk diffusion method was used to measur...

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Main Authors: Fatemeh Akhavan, Saeed Tahmouzi Didehban, Mohammad Hojjati
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-12-01
Series:Applied Food Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502225004238
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author Fatemeh Akhavan
Saeed Tahmouzi Didehban
Mohammad Hojjati
author_facet Fatemeh Akhavan
Saeed Tahmouzi Didehban
Mohammad Hojjati
author_sort Fatemeh Akhavan
collection DOAJ
description This study determined the antibacterial activity of various volumes of five essential oils from Lamiaceae natural plants. Three antibiotics—tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and penicillin—were compared against gram-positive bacteria that are food pathogens. The disk diffusion method was used to measure the diameter of the inhibition zones of 10, 15, and 20 µl of thyme, savory, rosemary, mint, and oregano in three replicates against gram-positive bacteria. Chemical compositions were analyzed through gas chromatography as provided by the manufacturer's tests. Results showed that rosemary, oregano, and peppermint had smaller growth inhibitory zone diameters than savory essential oil and thyme. Thyme and savory demonstrated the strongest antibacterial activity against food pathogen bacteria at 20 µl. Savory essential oil had the most inhibitory effect on Enterococci, while thyme showed significant inhibition against Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. Thus, they can serve as natural, potent, and effective preservatives to enhance food quality and shelf life.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2772-5022
language English
publishDate 2025-12-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Applied Food Research
spelling doaj-art-3798637ce2a64d958bcb3cc8e5d92ef12025-08-20T03:28:40ZengElsevierApplied Food Research2772-50222025-12-015210111810.1016/j.afres.2025.101118Antibacterial effects of Iranian essential oils compared with antibiotics against food pathogens: Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faeciumFatemeh Akhavan0Saeed Tahmouzi Didehban1Mohammad Hojjati2Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia City, Iran; Corresponding author.Department of Quality Control and Product Engineering, Nejati Industrial Group (ANATA), Tabriz, Iran; Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Technology, Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University, Mollasani, Ahwaz, IranDepartment of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Technology, Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University, Mollasani, Ahwaz, IranThis study determined the antibacterial activity of various volumes of five essential oils from Lamiaceae natural plants. Three antibiotics—tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and penicillin—were compared against gram-positive bacteria that are food pathogens. The disk diffusion method was used to measure the diameter of the inhibition zones of 10, 15, and 20 µl of thyme, savory, rosemary, mint, and oregano in three replicates against gram-positive bacteria. Chemical compositions were analyzed through gas chromatography as provided by the manufacturer's tests. Results showed that rosemary, oregano, and peppermint had smaller growth inhibitory zone diameters than savory essential oil and thyme. Thyme and savory demonstrated the strongest antibacterial activity against food pathogen bacteria at 20 µl. Savory essential oil had the most inhibitory effect on Enterococci, while thyme showed significant inhibition against Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. Thus, they can serve as natural, potent, and effective preservatives to enhance food quality and shelf life.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502225004238Pathogenic bacteriaAntibiotic diskPlant extractAsian plantsGC chromatography
spellingShingle Fatemeh Akhavan
Saeed Tahmouzi Didehban
Mohammad Hojjati
Antibacterial effects of Iranian essential oils compared with antibiotics against food pathogens: Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium
Applied Food Research
Pathogenic bacteria
Antibiotic disk
Plant extract
Asian plants
GC chromatography
title Antibacterial effects of Iranian essential oils compared with antibiotics against food pathogens: Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium
title_full Antibacterial effects of Iranian essential oils compared with antibiotics against food pathogens: Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium
title_fullStr Antibacterial effects of Iranian essential oils compared with antibiotics against food pathogens: Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium
title_full_unstemmed Antibacterial effects of Iranian essential oils compared with antibiotics against food pathogens: Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium
title_short Antibacterial effects of Iranian essential oils compared with antibiotics against food pathogens: Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium
title_sort antibacterial effects of iranian essential oils compared with antibiotics against food pathogens bacillus cereus listeria monocytogenes staphylococcus aureus enterococcus faecalis and enterococcus faecium
topic Pathogenic bacteria
Antibiotic disk
Plant extract
Asian plants
GC chromatography
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502225004238
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AT saeedtahmouzididehban antibacterialeffectsofiranianessentialoilscomparedwithantibioticsagainstfoodpathogensbacilluscereuslisteriamonocytogenesstaphylococcusaureusenterococcusfaecalisandenterococcusfaecium
AT mohammadhojjati antibacterialeffectsofiranianessentialoilscomparedwithantibioticsagainstfoodpathogensbacilluscereuslisteriamonocytogenesstaphylococcusaureusenterococcusfaecalisandenterococcusfaecium