Essential oils are plant secondary metabolites with different biological properties, such as action against microorganisms, being majorly important to the food industry. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (CMI) of these oils for several bacteria should be determined. CMIs vary according to the oil used, the major compounds and the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the bacteria. In this research, the essential oils of the plants Satureja montana L., Cymbopogon nardus L. and Citrus limonia Osbeck were chemically characterized, and CMI was determined for the Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 2592 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 bacteria. The CMI for all oils against E. coli was at 1.5%, and S. aureus was sensitive to the 5.0% concentration of the S. montana oil, and the CMI achieved was equivalent to 1.5% when essential oils of other plants were used. In the chemical composition, the major components for the S. montana, C. nardus and C.limonia Osbeck oils were thymol, citronellal and limonene, respectively.
natural antimicrobial; bacteria; essential oils
