Screening of antimicrobial and insecticidal properties of essential oils extracted from three Tunisian aromatic and medicinal plants

The essential oils (EOs) of Coriandrum sativum, Carum carvi and Artemisia herba-alba have been screened for their insecticidal activity against Tribolium castaneum, Sitophilus oryzae and Lasioderma serricorne and for their antimicrobial activity against Gram (+), Gram (-) bacteria and against yeast strain. Artemisia herba-alba EO showed good insecticidal activity with 24-h against L. serricorne (LC50 = 29.7) and against T. castaneum (66.1 mu g/mL) and antibacterial potentials against Staphyloccocus aureus (MIC = 0.125 mg/mL). The antimicrobial activities of C. carvi EO, rich in D-carvone (72.4%) and D-limonene (23.8%) were particularly remarkable, with LC50 of 27.9 mu g/mL against L. serricorne. Similarly, coriander EO, with linalool (64.6%) as the major compound was selected for its antimicrobial activities (Candida albicans, MIC = 1 mg/mL). These findings demonstrated that the tested EOs could be used as a natural source of insecticidal and antimicrobial activity, which may have a variety of uses in the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

Automated summary

The essential oils from coriander, caraway, and white wormwood showed insecticidal and antimicrobial activities against various pests and bacteria. Coriander oil exhibited good insecticidal activity against red flour beetle and sawtoothed grain beetle, as well as antibacterial potential against Staphylococcus aureus. Caraway oil showed remarkable insecticidal effects against sawtoothed grain beetle and also exhibited antimicrobial activity. These findings suggest that these essential oils can be used as natural sources of insecticidal and antimicrobial compounds with potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.