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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine chemical composition and the effects of Satureja montana L. (Lamiaceae) essential oil on the important enteric bacterial pathogens such as diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, Plesiomonas shigelloides, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium, Yersinia enterocolitica and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Leaves and flowers of the investigated plant were collected from a population growing in the littoral part of Dalmatia (Croatia). The GC/MS analyses revealed 33 compounds, the monoterpenes being the major fraction. Among them, the oxygen-containing phenolic monoterpene carvacrol (50.2%) and thymol (11%) were found to be the main constituents. The antibacterial activity of essential oil was evaluated by a modified agar dilution assay. The inhibitory properties of essential oils were observed within the range from 0.02 to 0.64%. Maximum activity was observed against Sh. flexneri and E. coli. Our results suggest that the essential oil of S. montana may warrant further investigation for their potential therapeutic efficacy in enteric tract infections.