J Biomed Res.  2014 Sep;15(3):117-122. 10.12729/jbr.2014.15.3.117.

Antibacterial effects of carvacrol against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7

• Cho Y
• Lee HJ

• KMID: 1963247
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12729/jbr.2014.15.3.117

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effects of carvacrol (CV) against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) strains in milk. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of CV against S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7 were determined. In addition, bactericidal kinetics and antimicrobial activity of CV against the aforementioned pathogens in milk over a period of 2 weeks were investigated. CV exhibited antibacterial activity against both foodborne pathogens tested. The MIC and MBC of CV against S. aureus were 15.0 and 20 mg/mL, respectively, whereas those against E. coli O157:H7 were 16.0 and 32 mg/mL, respectively. In time-kill assays, CV at MBC reduced the number of S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7 in milk to undetectable levels within 24 hr. The antibacterial effects of CV persisted for 14 days without any loss of activity. Results of this study suggest that CV has a potential antibacterial activity against foodborne pathogens such as S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7 in milk.

Keyword

foodborne disease; carvacrol; antibacterial activity; Staphylococcus aureus; Escherichia coli O157:H7

MeSH Terms

Escherichia coli*
Foodborne Diseases
Kinetics
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Milk
Staphylococcus aureus*