Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of thyme and of thymol against Escherichia coli strains
Santurio, Deise FloresJesus, Francielli Pantella Kunz deZanette, Régis AdrielSchlemmer, Karine BizziFraton, AndressaFries, Leadir Lucy Martins
Background: The deterioration of food products, especially of those derived from meat, by pathogenic microorganisms is a major problem in industries. Escherichia coli is a facultative anaerobic bacteria of intestinal origin, and is a cause of concern in the meat industry. The use of essential oils as inhibitors of growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms is a good choice for replacement of chemical additives in foods. This study was aimed at evaluating the in vitro activity of the essential oil of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and thymol, against E. coli strains, by using a microdilution methodology based on the M31-A3 technique.Materials, Methods & Results: In this study the antimicrobial activities of the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) and of the thymol compound were evaluated against 20 E. coli strains obtained from poultry and pigs. The strains are part of the collection of bacteria of the Laboratório de Pesquisas Micológicas of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM). The essential oil of thyme and its constituent, thymol, were commercially acquired (Sigma-Aldrich). Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was realized on a Agilent chromatograph Model HP 6890 series CG, equipped with a mass selective detector 5973 with electron impact (CG-MS-EI) and identified p-cymene (23.71%), thymol (13.86%) and -terpinene (8.55%) as the major substances...(AU)
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