Anti-bacterial effect of Mentha spicata L. essential oil on eight standard species of gastrointestinal pathogens

Abstract

Background and Aim: Nowadays resistance to antibiotics and their side effects has emerged as a worldwide problem. As a result, tend to use anti-bacterial compounds of plant origin has been increased. Mint plant scientifically called Mentha spicata L. is one of the plants which has many medicinal uses and its antibacterial effects is a matter of debate. We aimed to study antibacterial effects of Mentha spicata L essential oil on 8 standard bacterial species including Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, and two Salmonella species. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, using micro-dilution broth method and reading the results by ELISA reader, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of mint essential oil were determined against the 8 standard bacterial strains. The lab tests were repeated for three times. The results were analyzed by statistical tests. Results: The MIC for Mentha spicata L essential oil was significantly different among the bacterial species (p 0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed significant and selective antibacterial characteristics for Mentha spicata L suggesting to be used in pharmaceutical and food industries.

Keywords

• Menth aspicata L
• essential oil
• Antibacterial effect
• MIC
• MBC