title: Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Satureja kitaibelii essential oil against pathogenic microbial strains.
abstract: Plant species Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. is used as a spice and as a natural preservative for food and herbal tea, owing to its characteristic scent and flavor as well as high antimicrobial activity. In the present study, the antimicrobial activity of isolated essential oil of S. kitaibelii was tested against a panel of 30 pathogenic microorganisms (foodborne microbes, selected multiresistant bacterial isolates from the patient wounds and dermatophyte isolates). Limonene (15.54%), p-cymene (9.99%), and borneol (8.91%) appeared as the main components in 44 identified compounds representing 98.44% of the oil. Essential oil of S. kitaibelii showed significant activity against a wide spectrum of foodborne microbes (MIC=0.18-25.5 microg mL(-1)) and multiresistant bacterial isolates (MIC=6.25-50.0 microg mL(-1)), as well as against dermatophyte strains (MIC=12.5-50.0 microg mL(-1)). These results demonstrate that S. kitaibelii essential oil could be used as a natural potential antimicrobial agent against pathogenic strains in the treatment of foodborne disease, wound and skin infections.
authors.affiliation: University of Nis, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Department of Biology and Ecology, Visegradska 33, 18 000 Nis, Serbia.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mihajilov-Krstev
authors.forename: Dusanka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kitić
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radnović
authors.forename: Mihajlo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ristić
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mihajlović-Ukropina
authors.forename: Bojan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zlatković
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031362:Satureja / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils