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Antimicrobial Activity of Basil, Oregano, and Thyme Essential Oils
Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2017; 27(3): 429-438
Published March 28, 2017 https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.1608.08024
Copyright © The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology.
Abstract
Keywords
References
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- Prabuseenivasan S, Jayakumar M, Ignacimuthu S. 2006. In vitro antibacterial activity of some plant essential oils. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 6: 39-50.
- Valiakos E, Marselos M, Sakellaridis N, Constantinidis T, Skaltsa H. 2015. Ethnopharmacological approach to the herbal medicines of the “antidotes” in Nikolaos Myrepsos’ Dynameron. J. Ethnopharmacol. 163: 68-82.
- Hammer KA, Carson CF, Riley TV. 1999. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and other plant extracts. J. Appl. Microbiol. 86: 985-990.
- Cowan MM. 1999. Plant products as antimicrobial agents. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 12: 564-582.
- Lardos A. 2006. The botanical material medica of the Iatrosophikon - a collection of prescriptions from a monastery in Cyprus. J. Ethnopharmacol. 104: 387-406.
- Malamas M, Marselos M. 1992. The tradition of medicinal plants in Zagori, Epirus (northwestern Greece). J. Ethnopharmacol. 37: 197-203.
- Edris A. 2007. Pharmaceutical and therapeutic potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: a review. Phytother. Res. 21: 308-323.
- Freires IA, Denny C, Benso B, de Alencar SM, Rosalen PL. 2015. Antibacterial activity of essential oils and their isolated constituents against cariogenic bacteria: a systematic review. Molecules 20: 7329-7358.
- Rota C, Carraminana JJ, Burillo J, Herrera A. 2004. In vitro antimicrobial activity of essential oils from aromatic plants against selected foodborne pathogens. J. Food Protect. 67: 1252-1256.
- Suhr KI, Nielsen PV. 2003. Antifungal activity of essential oils evaluated by two different application techniques against rye bread spoilage fungi. J. Appl. Microbiol. 94: 665-674.
- Burt S. 2004. Essential oils: their antibacterial properties and potential applications in foods - a review. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 94: 223-253.
- Pothier J, Galand N, El Ouali M, Viel C. 2001. Comparison of planar chromatographic methods (TLC, OPLC, AMD) applied to essential oils of wild thyme and seven chemotypes of thyme. Il Farmaco 5-7: 505-511.
- Anthony JP, Fyfe L, Smith H. 2005. Plant active components – a resource for antiparasitic agents? Trends Parasitol. 21:462-468.
- Aburjai T, Natsheh F. 2003. Plants used in cosmetics. Phytother. Res. 17: 987-1000.
- Wallace RJ. 2004. Antimicrobial properties of plant secondary metabolites. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 63: 621-629.
- Cooke B, Ernst E. 2000. Aromatherapy: a systematic review. Br. J. Gen. Pract. 50: 493-496.
- Seymour R. 2003. Additional properties and uses of essential oils. J. Clin. Periodontol. 30: 19-21.
- Chorianopoulos N, Kalpoutzakis E, Aligiannis N, Mitaku S, Nychas G-J, Haroutounian S. 2004. Essential oils of Satureja, Origanum and Thymus species: chemical composition and antibacterial activities against foodborne pathogens. J. Agric. Food Chem. 52: 8261-8267.
- Cosentino S, Tuberoso SIG, Pisano B, Satta M, Mascia V, Arzedi E, Palmas F. 1999. In vitro antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of Sardinian Thymus essential oils. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 29: 130-135.
- Holley R, Patel D. 2005. Improvement in shelf-life and safety of perishable foods by plant essential oils and smoke antimicrobials. Food Microbiol. 22: 273-292.
- Marino M, Bersani C, Comi G. 2001. Impedance measurements to study the antimicrobial activity of essential oils from Lamiaceae and Compositae. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 67: 187-195.
- Smith-Palmer A, Stewart J, Fyfe L. 1998. Antimicrobial properties of plant essential oils and essences against five important food-borne pathogens. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 26: 118-122.
- Lang G, Buchbauer G. 2012. A review on recent research results (2008–2010) on essential oils as antimicrobials and antifungals. A review. Flavour Fragr. J. 27: 13-39.
- Lambert RJV, Skandamis PN, Coote PJ, Nychas G-JE. 2001. A study of the minimum inhibitory concentration and mode of action of oregano essential oil, thymol and carvacrol. J. Appl. Microbiol. 91: 453-462.
- Guynot ME, Ramos AG, Seto L, Purroy P, Sanchis V, Marin S. 2003. Antifungal activities of volatile compounds generated by essential oils against fungi commonly causing deterioration of bakery products. J. Appl. Microbiol. 94: 893-899.
- Walsh SE, Maillard JY, Russell AD, Catrenich CE, Charbonneau DL, Bartolo RG. 2003. Activity and mechanisms of action of selected biocidal agents on gram-positive and -negative bacteria. J. Appl. Microbiol. 94: 240-247.
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- Radulovic N, Blagojevic P, Miltojevic A. 2013. α-Linalool - a marker compound of forged/synthetic sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oils. J. Sci. Food Agric. 93:3292-3303.
- Rattanachaikunsopon P, Phumkhachorn P. 2010. Antimicrobial activity of basil (Ocimum basilicum) oil against Salmonella enteritidis in vitro and in food. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 74: 1200-1204.
- Suppakul P, Miltz J, Sonneveld K, Bigger S. 2003. Antimicrobial properties of basil and its possible application in food packaging. J. Agric. Food Chem. 51: 3197-3207.
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- Vieira R, Grayer R, Paton A. 2003. Chemical profiling of Ocimum americanum using external flavonoids. Phytochemistry 63: 555-567.
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- Villalobos-Pascual MJ, Acosta-Ballesta MC. 2003. Chemical variation in an Ocimum basilicum gerplasm collection and activity of the essential oils on Callosobruchus maculatus. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 31: 673-679.
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- Burt S, Vlielander R, Haagsman H, Veldhuizen E. 2005. Increase in activity of essential oil components carvacrol and thymol against Escherichia coli O157:H7 by addition of food stabilizers. J. Food Prot. 68: 919-926.
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Related articles in JMB

Article
Review
J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2017; 27(3): 429-438
Published online March 28, 2017 https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.1608.08024
Copyright © The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology.
Antimicrobial Activity of Basil, Oregano, and Thyme Essential Oils
Hercules Sakkas 1* and Chrissanthy Papadopoulou 1
Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Abstract
For centuries, plants have been used for a wide variety of purposes, from treating infectious
diseases to food preservation and perfume production. Presently, the increasing resistance of
microorganisms to currently used antimicrobials in combination with the appearance of
emerging diseases requires the urgent development of new, more effective drugs. Plants, due
to the large biological and structural diversity of their components, constitute a unique and
renewable source for the discovery of new antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic
compounds. In the present paper, the history, composition, and antimicrobial activities of the
basil, oregano, and thyme essential oils are reviewed.
Keywords: Essential oils, Thyme, Basil, Antimicrobial activity, Oregano
References
- Gurib-Fakim A. 2006. Medicinal plants: traditions of yesterday and drugs of tomorrow. Mol. Aspects Med. 27: 1-93.
- Prabuseenivasan S, Jayakumar M, Ignacimuthu S. 2006. In vitro antibacterial activity of some plant essential oils. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 6: 39-50.
- Valiakos E, Marselos M, Sakellaridis N, Constantinidis T, Skaltsa H. 2015. Ethnopharmacological approach to the herbal medicines of the “antidotes” in Nikolaos Myrepsos’ Dynameron. J. Ethnopharmacol. 163: 68-82.
- Hammer KA, Carson CF, Riley TV. 1999. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and other plant extracts. J. Appl. Microbiol. 86: 985-990.
- Cowan MM. 1999. Plant products as antimicrobial agents. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 12: 564-582.
- Lardos A. 2006. The botanical material medica of the Iatrosophikon - a collection of prescriptions from a monastery in Cyprus. J. Ethnopharmacol. 104: 387-406.
- Malamas M, Marselos M. 1992. The tradition of medicinal plants in Zagori, Epirus (northwestern Greece). J. Ethnopharmacol. 37: 197-203.
- Edris A. 2007. Pharmaceutical and therapeutic potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: a review. Phytother. Res. 21: 308-323.
- Freires IA, Denny C, Benso B, de Alencar SM, Rosalen PL. 2015. Antibacterial activity of essential oils and their isolated constituents against cariogenic bacteria: a systematic review. Molecules 20: 7329-7358.
- Rota C, Carraminana JJ, Burillo J, Herrera A. 2004. In vitro antimicrobial activity of essential oils from aromatic plants against selected foodborne pathogens. J. Food Protect. 67: 1252-1256.
- Suhr KI, Nielsen PV. 2003. Antifungal activity of essential oils evaluated by two different application techniques against rye bread spoilage fungi. J. Appl. Microbiol. 94: 665-674.
- Burt S. 2004. Essential oils: their antibacterial properties and potential applications in foods - a review. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 94: 223-253.
- Pothier J, Galand N, El Ouali M, Viel C. 2001. Comparison of planar chromatographic methods (TLC, OPLC, AMD) applied to essential oils of wild thyme and seven chemotypes of thyme. Il Farmaco 5-7: 505-511.
- Anthony JP, Fyfe L, Smith H. 2005. Plant active components – a resource for antiparasitic agents? Trends Parasitol. 21:462-468.
- Aburjai T, Natsheh F. 2003. Plants used in cosmetics. Phytother. Res. 17: 987-1000.
- Wallace RJ. 2004. Antimicrobial properties of plant secondary metabolites. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 63: 621-629.
- Cooke B, Ernst E. 2000. Aromatherapy: a systematic review. Br. J. Gen. Pract. 50: 493-496.
- Seymour R. 2003. Additional properties and uses of essential oils. J. Clin. Periodontol. 30: 19-21.
- Chorianopoulos N, Kalpoutzakis E, Aligiannis N, Mitaku S, Nychas G-J, Haroutounian S. 2004. Essential oils of Satureja, Origanum and Thymus species: chemical composition and antibacterial activities against foodborne pathogens. J. Agric. Food Chem. 52: 8261-8267.
- Cosentino S, Tuberoso SIG, Pisano B, Satta M, Mascia V, Arzedi E, Palmas F. 1999. In vitro antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of Sardinian Thymus essential oils. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 29: 130-135.
- Holley R, Patel D. 2005. Improvement in shelf-life and safety of perishable foods by plant essential oils and smoke antimicrobials. Food Microbiol. 22: 273-292.
- Marino M, Bersani C, Comi G. 2001. Impedance measurements to study the antimicrobial activity of essential oils from Lamiaceae and Compositae. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 67: 187-195.
- Smith-Palmer A, Stewart J, Fyfe L. 1998. Antimicrobial properties of plant essential oils and essences against five important food-borne pathogens. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 26: 118-122.
- Lang G, Buchbauer G. 2012. A review on recent research results (2008–2010) on essential oils as antimicrobials and antifungals. A review. Flavour Fragr. J. 27: 13-39.
- Lambert RJV, Skandamis PN, Coote PJ, Nychas G-JE. 2001. A study of the minimum inhibitory concentration and mode of action of oregano essential oil, thymol and carvacrol. J. Appl. Microbiol. 91: 453-462.
- Guynot ME, Ramos AG, Seto L, Purroy P, Sanchis V, Marin S. 2003. Antifungal activities of volatile compounds generated by essential oils against fungi commonly causing deterioration of bakery products. J. Appl. Microbiol. 94: 893-899.
- Walsh SE, Maillard JY, Russell AD, Catrenich CE, Charbonneau DL, Bartolo RG. 2003. Activity and mechanisms of action of selected biocidal agents on gram-positive and -negative bacteria. J. Appl. Microbiol. 94: 240-247.
- Sikkema J, De Bont J, Poolman B. 1995. Mechanisms of membrane toxicity of hydrocarbons. Microbiol. Rev. 59: 201222.
- Si W, Gong J, Tsao R, Zhou T, Yu H, Poppe C, et al. 2006. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and structurally related synthetic food additives towards selected pathogenic and beneficial gut bacteria. J. Appl. Microbiol. 100: 296-305.
- Radulovic N, Blagojevic P, Miltojevic A. 2013. α-Linalool - a marker compound of forged/synthetic sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oils. J. Sci. Food Agric. 93:3292-3303.
- Rattanachaikunsopon P, Phumkhachorn P. 2010. Antimicrobial activity of basil (Ocimum basilicum) oil against Salmonella enteritidis in vitro and in food. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 74: 1200-1204.
- Suppakul P, Miltz J, Sonneveld K, Bigger S. 2003. Antimicrobial properties of basil and its possible application in food packaging. J. Agric. Food Chem. 51: 3197-3207.
- Schulz H, Schrader B, Quilitzsch R, Pfeffer S, Kruger H. 2003. Rapid classification of basil chemotypes by various vibrational spectroscopy methods. J. Agric. Food Chem. 51: 2475-2481.
- Trevisan MTS, Silva MGV, Pfundstein B, Spiegelhalder B, Owen RW. 2006. Characterization of the volatile pattern and antioxidant capacity of essential oils from different species of the genus Ocimum. J. Agric. Food Chem. 54: 4378-4382.
- Vieira R, Grayer R, Paton A. 2003. Chemical profiling of Ocimum americanum using external flavonoids. Phytochemistry 63: 555-567.
- Tilebeni HG. 2011. Review to basil medicinal plant. Int. J. Agron. Plant Prod. 2: 5-9.
- Lachowicz K J, J ones G P, B rig g s DR, Bienvenu F E, W an J , Wilcock A, Coventry MJ. 1998. The synergistic preservative effects of the essential oils of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) against acid-tolerant food microflora. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 26: 209-214.
- Opalchenova G, Obreshkova D. 2003. Comparative studies on the activity of basil – an essential oil from Ocimum basilicum L. – against multidrug resistant clinical isolates of the genera Staphylococcus, Enterococcus and Pseudomonas by using different test methods. J. Microbiol. Methods 54: 105-110.
- Lewinsohn E, Ziv-Raz I, Dudai N, Tadmor Y, Lastochkin E, Larkov O, et al. 2000. Biosynthesis of estragole and methyleugenol in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Developmental and chemotypic association of allylphenol O-methyltransferase activities. Plant Sci. 160: 27-35.
- Villalobos-Pascual MJ, Acosta-Ballesta MC. 2003. Chemical variation in an Ocimum basilicum gerplasm collection and activity of the essential oils on Callosobruchus maculatus. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 31: 673-679.
- Kathirvel P, Ravi S. 2012. Chemical composition of the essential oil from basil (Ocimum basilicum Linn.) and its in vitro cytotoxicity against HeLa and HEp-2 human cancer cell lines and NIH 3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Nat. Prod. Res. 26: 1112-1128.
- Matiz G, Osorio M, Camacho F, Atencia M, Herazo J. 2012. Effectiveness of antimicrobial formulations for acne based on orange (Citrus sinensis) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oils. Biomedica 32: 125-133.
- Karamaouna F, Kimbaris A, Michaelakis A, Papachristos D, Polissiou M, Papatsakona P, Tsora E. 2013. Insecticidal activity of plant essential oils against the Vine Mealybug, Planococcus ficus. J. Insect Sci. 13: 142.
- Dulger B. 2005. An investigation on antimicrobial activity of endemic Origanum solymicum and Origanum bilgeri from Turkey. Afr. J. Tradit. Complement. Altern. Med. 2: 259-263.
- Kokkini S, Karousou R, Dardioti A, Krigas N, Lanaras T. 1997. Autumn essential oils of Greek oregano. Phytochemistry 44: 883-886.
- Gounaris Y, Skoula M, Fournaraki C, Drakakaki G, Makris A. 2002. Comparison of essential oils and genetic relationship of Origanum × intercedens to its parental taxa in the island of Crete. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 30: 249-258.
- Burt S, Vlielander R, Haagsman H, Veldhuizen E. 2005. Increase in activity of essential oil components carvacrol and thymol against Escherichia coli O157:H7 by addition of food stabilizers. J. Food Prot. 68: 919-926.
- Aligiannis N, Kalpoutzakis E, Mitaku S, Chinou B. 2001. Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of two Origanum species. J. Agric. Food Chem. 49: 4168-4170.
- de Falco E, Roscigno C, Landolfi S, Scandolera E. 2014. Growth, essential oil characterization, and antimicrobial activity of three wild types of oregano under cultivation condition in Southern Italy. Ind. Crops Prod. 62: 242-249.
- Baydar H, Sagdic O, Ozkan G, Karadogan T. 2003. Antibacterial activity and composition of essential oils from Origanum, Thymbra and Satureja species with commercial importance in Turkey. Food Control 15: 169-172.
- Alma M, Mavi A, Yildirim A, Digrak M, Hirata T. 2003. Screening chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils from Origanum syriacum L. growing in Turkey. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 26: 1725-1729.
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