SOME LAMIACEAE FAMILY PLANT ESSENTIAL OIL CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND THEIR POTENTIAL AS ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AGAINST ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA

Abstract

The antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EO) from several plants of Lamiaceae family (Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam., Thymus vulgaris L., Ocimum × citriodorum, O. basilicum var. purpureum, O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora, Origanum vulgare L.), spread in Armenia, was studied using agar diffusion method. As test-organisms the ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli dp5α-pUC18 and non-resistant E. coli VKPM M-17 were used. Dimethyl sulfoxide was used as the solvent and negative control; gentamicin was applied as the positive control. O. × citriodorum, O. basilicum var. purpureum and T. vulgaris EO expressed the strongest activity against E. coli dpα-pUC18; minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) was 6.25 μL·mL^–1. MIC of the O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora EO was 12.5 μL·mL^–1. Z. clinopodioides and O. vulgare EO MIC was 50 μL·mL^–1. Thus, EO from the Lamiaceae family plants could be recommended as antimicrobial agents against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.