ANTI-LISTERIAL ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OILS OF SOME PLANTS

Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of essential oils of plant Thym us daensis, Artemisia absintium, Matricaria chamommilla, Melissa offic inalis and Allium sativum (garlic) against Listeria monocytogenes type 4a using tube dilution technique and agar disk diffusion,method were studied. In tube dilution technique the concentration of each oil teas estimated in v/v units. The results showed that the MIC values for T. daensis, A. absintium, M. chamommilla, M, officinalis and A. sativum, were 1:6400, 1:1280, 1:1280, 1:2560 and 1:1280, respectively. In agar disk diffusion test, the zone of inhibition were 25, 9, 10, 10 and 15 nm, respectively, The results showed that the antilisteric activities of essential oils of T. daensis and M. officinalis were superior than that of other essential oils.