The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of some commercial essential oils, obtained from herbs and spices commonly used in cookery, against a panel of food-borne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria such as Stafilococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus. Eight essential oils were tested (dill oil, juniper oil, oregano oil, basil oil, thyme oil, rosemary oil, fir oil and clove oil) in different concentrations (1 µl, 5µl și 10µl) using the agar diffusion technique. The results were compared with those of a commercial antibiotic – gentamycin, which was used as a positive control at a constant concentration of 10 µl. Some of the essential oils exhibited promising antibacterial effect as a diameter of zones of inhibition (21-33 mm) against the tested bacteria. The results indicate the potential efficacy of plant-based natural products such as essential oil of oregano, clove and thyme to control food-borne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria.
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