Inhibitory Effects of Essential Oils and Extracts of the Water-Steam Distillation Residues from Greek Herbs on Adherent Biofilm Formation by Common Pathogens

Biofilms pose a major challenge to the food industry, as they develop on both biotic and abiotic surfaces and contribute to the persistence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. This study evaluated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential of <i>Satureja thymbra</i>, <i>Thymus capi...

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Main Authors: Gregoria Mitropoulou, Ioanna Karapantzou, Dimitris Tsimogiannis, Vassiliki Oreopoulou, Veronica Lazăr, Yiannis Kourkoutas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/6/3385
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author Gregoria Mitropoulou
Ioanna Karapantzou
Dimitris Tsimogiannis
Vassiliki Oreopoulou
Veronica Lazăr
Yiannis Kourkoutas
author_facet Gregoria Mitropoulou
Ioanna Karapantzou
Dimitris Tsimogiannis
Vassiliki Oreopoulou
Veronica Lazăr
Yiannis Kourkoutas
author_sort Gregoria Mitropoulou
collection DOAJ
description Biofilms pose a major challenge to the food industry, as they develop on both biotic and abiotic surfaces and contribute to the persistence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. This study evaluated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential of <i>Satureja thymbra</i>, <i>Thymus capitatus</i>, and <i>Origanum hirtum</i> essential oils (EOs), their main components (thymol, carvacrol, <i>p</i>-cymene, and <i>γ</i>-terpinene), and ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts of the water-steam distillation residue of <i>T. capitatus</i> (WSTRTc). Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values of EOs and WSTRTc extracts ranged from 0.6 to 56.8 mg/mL. The corresponding MIC values of the main components ranged in lower values (0.5–2.4 mg/mL). Minimum Biofilm Inhibition Concentration (MBIC) and Minimum Biofilm Eradication Concentration (MBEC) were also determined. MBIC values for the EOs ranged from 0.6 to 4.7 mg/mL against biofilms of <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>, <i>Proteus mirabilis</i>, and <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis. Significant antibiofilm activity at concentrations > 61 mg/mL and > 20 mg/mL was recorded by the ethanolic and ethyl acetate WSTRTc extracts, respectively, but no activity against <i>L. monocytogenes</i> and <i>P. mirabilis</i> biofilms was documented. These findings highlighted the efficacy of EOs and extracts derived from Greek herbs, suggesting their application in the food and pharmaceutical industry as natural antimicrobials and biofilm inhibitors.
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spelling doaj-art-74cb6aa00a5d4600bd4827c6a99545cc2025-08-20T02:42:35ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-03-01156338510.3390/app15063385Inhibitory Effects of Essential Oils and Extracts of the Water-Steam Distillation Residues from Greek Herbs on Adherent Biofilm Formation by Common PathogensGregoria Mitropoulou0Ioanna Karapantzou1Dimitris Tsimogiannis2Vassiliki Oreopoulou3Veronica Lazăr4Yiannis Kourkoutas5Laboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 681 00 Alexandroupolis, GreeceLaboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 681 00 Alexandroupolis, GreeceLaboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, RomaniaLaboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 681 00 Alexandroupolis, GreeceBiofilms pose a major challenge to the food industry, as they develop on both biotic and abiotic surfaces and contribute to the persistence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. This study evaluated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential of <i>Satureja thymbra</i>, <i>Thymus capitatus</i>, and <i>Origanum hirtum</i> essential oils (EOs), their main components (thymol, carvacrol, <i>p</i>-cymene, and <i>γ</i>-terpinene), and ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts of the water-steam distillation residue of <i>T. capitatus</i> (WSTRTc). Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values of EOs and WSTRTc extracts ranged from 0.6 to 56.8 mg/mL. The corresponding MIC values of the main components ranged in lower values (0.5–2.4 mg/mL). Minimum Biofilm Inhibition Concentration (MBIC) and Minimum Biofilm Eradication Concentration (MBEC) were also determined. MBIC values for the EOs ranged from 0.6 to 4.7 mg/mL against biofilms of <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>, <i>Proteus mirabilis</i>, and <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis. Significant antibiofilm activity at concentrations > 61 mg/mL and > 20 mg/mL was recorded by the ethanolic and ethyl acetate WSTRTc extracts, respectively, but no activity against <i>L. monocytogenes</i> and <i>P. mirabilis</i> biofilms was documented. These findings highlighted the efficacy of EOs and extracts derived from Greek herbs, suggesting their application in the food and pharmaceutical industry as natural antimicrobials and biofilm inhibitors.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/6/3385antibiofilm activitypathogenic bacteria<i>S. thymbra</i><i>T. capitatus</i><i>O. hirtum</i>
spellingShingle Gregoria Mitropoulou
Ioanna Karapantzou
Dimitris Tsimogiannis
Vassiliki Oreopoulou
Veronica Lazăr
Yiannis Kourkoutas
Inhibitory Effects of Essential Oils and Extracts of the Water-Steam Distillation Residues from Greek Herbs on Adherent Biofilm Formation by Common Pathogens
Applied Sciences
antibiofilm activity
pathogenic bacteria
<i>S. thymbra</i>
<i>T. capitatus</i>
<i>O. hirtum</i>
title Inhibitory Effects of Essential Oils and Extracts of the Water-Steam Distillation Residues from Greek Herbs on Adherent Biofilm Formation by Common Pathogens
title_full Inhibitory Effects of Essential Oils and Extracts of the Water-Steam Distillation Residues from Greek Herbs on Adherent Biofilm Formation by Common Pathogens
title_fullStr Inhibitory Effects of Essential Oils and Extracts of the Water-Steam Distillation Residues from Greek Herbs on Adherent Biofilm Formation by Common Pathogens
title_full_unstemmed Inhibitory Effects of Essential Oils and Extracts of the Water-Steam Distillation Residues from Greek Herbs on Adherent Biofilm Formation by Common Pathogens
title_short Inhibitory Effects of Essential Oils and Extracts of the Water-Steam Distillation Residues from Greek Herbs on Adherent Biofilm Formation by Common Pathogens
title_sort inhibitory effects of essential oils and extracts of the water steam distillation residues from greek herbs on adherent biofilm formation by common pathogens
topic antibiofilm activity
pathogenic bacteria
<i>S. thymbra</i>
<i>T. capitatus</i>
<i>O. hirtum</i>
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/6/3385
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