In Vitro Antibacterial Activities of Essential Oils and Extracts of Six Herbals Against Gram-positive and Gram-negative Bacteria

Background: Today, due to the increasing use of chemical drugs and the spread of microbial resistance to synthetic antibiotics, as well as side effects of drugs, the identification and introduction of plant species with medicinal and antimicrobial properties is very important. In this study, the antimicrobial properties of essential oils and extracts of 6 medicinal plants from Ahvaz region, Iran against 12 Gram-positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria were evaluated. Methods: : The EOs and extracts were extracted using water distillation with Clevenger apparatus. The antimicrobial properties and determination of the minimum concentration of growth inhibition of herbals were investigated by the modified E-test method. Results: : All analyzed extracts and EOs showed antibacterial effects. The antimicrobial activity of Oliveria decumbens was strongest herbals with the least MIC ranges (0.008-0.1 mg/ml for EO, 0.9-20 mg/ml for extract), while the antibacterial effects of Artemisia vulgaris extract and Glycyrrhiza glabra EO with the highest MIC were weaker than the others. According to the effectiveness of plant extracts on bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant to all extracts except Oliveria decumbens. In contrast, Bacillus cereus was more sensitive than other strains against analyzed EOs and extracts. Conclusions: It seems that due to the antimicrobial properties of the extracts and essential oils observed in this study, they can be used as an alternative to antimicrobial drugs after more extensive studies.