title: Antibacterial efficiency of Finnish spice essential oils against pathogenic and spoilage bacteria.
abstract: The antibacterial properties of 13 essential oils, derived from spices grown in Finland, were examined with an agar diffusion method against 12 bacterial strains. The organisms tested included both spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. The gram-positive bacteria appeared to be more sensitive than the gram-negative organisms, Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium perfringens being the most sensitive. Oregano, savory, and thyme showed the broadest antibacterial activity by distinctly inhibiting the growth of all the organisms tested. By gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, differences were noted in the composition of oregano and thyme oils in comparison to previous reports.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. mari.nevas@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nevas
authors.forename: Anna-Riitta
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.forename: Miia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lindström
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turkki
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Korkeala
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005387:Finland; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017365:Spices
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile