Abstract

In this study we screened ten herbal oils, which were purchased from the local market of Meerut region to study their role as inhibitors of food-borne pathogens. Of the ten essential oils, only cinnamon and clove oil exhibited a broad range of antimicrobial activity, followed by peppermint and Eucalyptus oil. Cinnamon oil exhibited the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.25% (v/v), followed by clove oil with an MIC of 2.5% (v/v). These oils therefore possess potential to be used as food bio-preservatives.

Key words: Herbal oils, agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), two-fold dilution.