Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oils Against Pathogens Isolated from Food, Crops and Hospitals in Morocco

AbstractChemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Mentha pulegium (M. pulegium) and Rosmarinus officinalis (R. officinalis) essential oils (EOs) against bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) isolated from food and hospitals and phytopathogenics fungi (Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus stolonifer) isolated from crops were studied. Gas vhromatography/Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed pulegone (86.3 %) as the major compound for M. pulegium EO (MEO) while R. officinalis EO (REO) was rich in 1,8-Cineole (35.7 %). Antibacterial activity of MEO was more important than REO. S. aureus and L. monocytogenes were the most resistant to REO while P. aeruginosa was the most sensitive to MEO. MEO was also effective against the fungal strains at low concentrations. In fact, 2 μL/mL were sufficient to inhibit 100 % of mycelium growth for both B. cinerea and R. Stolonifer. B. cinerea was more sensitive to REO than R. stolonifer. Antioxydant activity o...