Antibacterial Properties of Essential Oil of Heracleum persicum (Golpar) and Foodborne Pathogens

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a serious health threat to human society. Antibiotics and preservatives are also the most common modalities to increase the shelf life of foods. Objectives: Antibacterial activity of essential oil of Heracleum persicum (Golpar) fruit against some of the main foodborne bacteria was determined. Materials and Methods: Antibacterial activity of essential oil was evaluated against the bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Vibrio cholera, and Yersinia enterocolitica) using disc diffusion method. Broth micro-dilution method was used to determine their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The data was expressed as mean and standard deviation and analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS software (P < 0.05). Results: Comparing with S. typhi strains (inhibition zone = 18 ± 0.46 mm), essential oil was found to be more effective against V. cholera strains (inhibition zone = 34 ± 0.2 mm). The MIC value (%) of the essential oil against V. cholera and S. typhi were 8 and 32 respectively. Essential oil of H. persicum (Golpar) showed a good antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. Conclusion: The results revealed that the essential oil of H. persicum can be used in food preservation systems to inhibit the growth of V. cholera strains and improve food quality and safety.