Antimicrobial activity of eight plant essential oils having antioxidant property against spoilage microbes.

This article focuses on identifying effective, broad-spectrum, and non-toxic natural preservatives for agricultural products by evaluating the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of eight plant essential oils against common spoilage microbes, including Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Penicillium, Saccharomyces, and Escherichia coli. Garlic and rose essential oils demonstrated the strongest antimicrobial effects, while rosemary, thyme, rose, and tea tree oils showed notable antioxidant capacities. A combination of rose, garlic, and thyme essential oils was optimized using response surface methodology to achieve enhanced antimicrobial and antioxidant performance, with the composite formulation exhibiting inhibition zones greater than 45 mm against all tested microbes and a DPPH free radical-scavenging rate of approximately 50%. The study highlights the potential of this essential oil blend as a natural preservative for agricultural products, though further research on its practical application in product preservation is suggested.