Correlation between Chemical Composition of Greek Essential Oils and their Antibacterial Activity against Food-borne Pathogens

The compositions of forty-nine essential oils obtained from plants growing in areas of biodiversity in Greece were determined by means of gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The in vitro antibacterial activities of the oils were evaluated against a panel of five common food-borne bacteria ( Escherichia coli 0157:H7 NCTC 12900, Salmonella Enteritidis PT4, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Listeria monocytogenes Scott A and Bacillus cereus FSS 134). Monoterpene hydrocarbons, phenolic monoterpenes and alcohols were the major constituents of the oils, but their concentrations varied greatly between the samples examined. The essential oils obtained from the species endemic to Greece ( Satureja and Origanum) had the most potent bactericidal properties. The chemical composition data were statistically processed through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and correlated with the antibacterial activities, allowing a rough estimation of the potential of the essential oils antibacterial activity.