Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils of Iranian Plants (Mazandaran Province)

The essential oils of 44 plants from north of Iran (Mazandaran province) were obtained by hydrodistillation. Antibacterial activity of oils was evaluated by macro-titer plate dilution method, using Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. Among the tested essential oils, four of them, Juniperus sabina L. (Cupressaceae), Carum copticum L. (Apiaceae), Ferula gumosa Boiss. (Apiaceae) and Allium akaka Gmel. (Liliaceae), showed considerable antibacterial activity against at least three test bacteria. Both Gram-positive bacteria tested were the most susceptible to the effects of oils. R aeruginosa was the least susceptible bacterium whereas the other bacteria were partially inhibited by some of the essential oils tested. Detailed results of antibacterial activities of essential oils are presented in this paper.