Antibacterial activity of rosemary, caraway and fennel essential oils
SummaryIntroduction:Recently, interest in essential oils used in natural medicine, has been increasing. Essential oils are still being tested for their potential uses as an alternative remedies for the treatment of many infectious diseases.Objective:The aim of the study was to evaluate antibacterial properties of commercial essential oils (rosemary, caraway and fennel) to reduce the number ofStaphylococcus aureusandEscherichia coli.Methods:The antibacterial activity of essential oils was investigated by agar dilution method.Results:The result of experiments showed that essential oils contained in microbiological media significantly reduced the number ofS. aureusandE. colicells. The best antibacterial properties possessed caraway oil: 1 mg/g forS. aureusand 10 mg/g forE. coli,weaker rosemary (5 mg/g) and fennel (20 mg/g) oils.Conclusion:Results confirmed the inhibiting effect of commercial essential oils onS. aureusandE. coliand provide a scientific ground for future research.