title: Potential use of Tunisian Pituranthos chloranthus essential oils as a natural disinfectant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To highlight the bactericidal and fungicidal activities of Tunisian Pituranthos chloranthus essential oils and to study their potential use as powerful and natural disinfectant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation of the aerial part of P. chloranthus. The bactericidal and fungicidal properties of essential oils were investigated by using the NCCLS broth dilution method and the EN 1275 and EN 1276 European standard methods. High bactericidal and fungicidal effects of 1.87-3.75 and 7.5 mg l(-1) were obtained, respectively. Essential oils concentrations of 0.5% and 1% (w/v) allowed reductions in viability higher than 5 and 4 log units per ml for standard bacteria and fungi, respectively, within a contact time of 5 min under dirty conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the traditional uses of P. chloranthus as a natural disinfectant and insecticide. It could be used to manage life-threatening pathogens as well as food preservative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This natural disinfectant could play a vital role in alleviating the spread of pathogenic micro-organisms and environmental problems associated with the indiscriminate use of synthetic chemicals.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Bioprocédés, Pôle d'Excellence Régionale AUF, (PER-LBP) Centre de Biotechnologie de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yangui
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouaziz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhouib
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sayadi
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts