Abstract

REVIEW ON ESSENTIAL OIL: ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF ORIGANUM MANJORAM AND THYMUS VULGARIS

Dr. Sapna Shrikumar*, Surya S. Nair and M. K. Drisya

.

Abstract

Antimicrobial drugs derived from both chemical and microbial products, plays an important role in fight against pathogens. Overuse of antibiotics cause the emergence of multidrug resistance. The medicinal plants are used as a source for relief from antimicrobial resistance. EOs are mixture of volatile compounds, exhibit a wide spectrum of antimicrobial properties. Antimicrobial activity of EOs depends mainly on three characteristic such as character of essential oil, its chemical components and the type of organism that must attacks. The mechanism of action of EOs is to pass through the cell wall and cell membrane of microorganism that leads to the disruption of structure and thus permeabilize those membranes. Combination of essential oil with an antimicrobial agent produces synergistic effect. Interaction between EOs components may leads to the antagonistic, addictive or synergistic effect. Due to the presence of carvacrol and thymol in Oregano and thyme produces remarkable antibacterial effects. The combination of T. vulgaris and O. marjoram produces a synergistic activity. The EO from thyme has inhibition effect against 9 strains and oregano has inhibition effect against 6 strains. Antimicrobial activity is slightly more in oregano than thyme.

Keywords: .