Antimicrobial agents from plants: antibacterial activity of plant volatile oils

TLDR

Volatile oils from black pepper, clove, geranium, nutmeg, oregano, and thyme were evaluated for antibacterial activity against 25 bacterial genera. The study tested the oils against a range of animal and plant pathogens, food‑poisoning, and spoilage bacteria. All tested oils showed strong antibacterial activity, with major components varying in inhibitory potency.

Abstract

The volatile oils of black pepper [Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae)], clove [Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & Perry (Myrtaceae)], geranium [Pelargonium graveolens L'Herit (Geraniaceae)], nutmeg [Myristica fragrans Houtt. (Myristicaceae), oregano [Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum (Link) Letsw. (Lamiaceae)] and thyme [Thymus vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae)] were assessed for antibacterial activity against 25 different genera of bacteria. These included animal and plant pathogens, food poisoning and spoilage bacteria. The volatile oils exhibited considerable inhibitory effects against all the organisms under test while their major components demonstrated various degrees of growth inhibition.