Antibacterial activity of summer savory(Satureja hortensis L)essential oil and its constituents

Abstract

The essential oil distilled from summer savory (Satureja hortensis) consists of over forty different components. Ten bacterial genera, including some of public health significance, were tested against a number of the predominant constituents in the oil, along with oils from different geographical locations (France, Hungary and Spain). Whole oils distilled from plants grown at different periods of the Scottish season were also tested against five of the test organisms. The constituents of summer savory essential oil which were most inhibitory to bacterial growth were: carvacrol, 1,8-cineole, eugenol, beta-humulene, linalool, beta-pinene, alpha-terpineol and thymol.