Antibacterial Activity and Epigenetic Remodeling of Essential Oils from Calabrian Aromatic Plants

Natural compounds have historically had a wide application in nutrition. Recently, a fundamental role has been identified for essential oils extracted from aromatic plants for their nutritional, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, and as food preservatives. In the present study, essential oils (EOs) from ten aromatic plants grown in Calabria (Italy), used routinely to impart aroma and taste to food, were evaluated for their antibacterial activity. This activity was investigated against Escherichia coli strain JM109, and its derived antibiotic-resistant cells selected by growing the strain at low concentrations of ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Although all the essential oils showed bactericidal activity, those from Clinopodium nepeta, Origanum vulgare, and Foeniculum vulgare displayed the greatest inhibitory effects on the bacterial growth of all cell lines. It is plausible that the antibacterial activity is mediated by epigenetic modifications since the tested essential oils induce methylation both at adenine and cytosine residues in the genomes of most cell lines. This study contributes to a further characterization of the properties of essential oils by shedding new light on the molecular mechanisms that mediate these properties.

Automated summary

Essential oils extracted from aromatic plants have been found to have nutritional, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, and can be used as food preservatives. This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of essential oils from ten aromatic plants grown in Italy. The essential oils from Clinopodium nepeta, Origanum vulgare, and Foeniculum vulgare showed the strongest inhibitory effects on bacterial growth. Furthermore, it is possible that epigenetic modifications mediate the antibacterial activity of essential oils.