JOURNAL ARTICLE

Antibacterial, antibiofilm, and gene expression assessment of ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) essential oil on drug-resistant gastrointestinal pathogens and its combination effect with ampicillin.

  • Published In: Letters in Applied Microbiology, 2025, v. 78, n. 1. P. 1 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Ozma, Mahdi Asghari; Alileh, Niloofar Fallahi; Abbasi, Amin; Mahdavi, Sina; Fadaee, Manouchehr; Nezhadi, Javad; Ozma, Masoud Asghari; Asgharzadeh, Mohammad; Kafil, Hossein Samadi 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on the antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of Trachyspermum ammi (ajwain) essential oil against antibiotic-resistant gastrointestinal pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Shigella flexneri, and Salmonella serotype Typhimurium. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry identified thymol, gamma-terpinene, and cymene as the main components of the essential oil, which demonstrated minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 1 to 4 mg/ml against these pathogens. The study found that combining T. ammi essential oil with the antibiotic ampicillin produced a synergistic effect, enhancing antibacterial activity and inhibiting biofilm formation, with Enterococcus faecalis showing the greatest sensitivity. Cytotoxicity assays indicated that the essential oil maintained over 80% viability in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells at effective concentrations, suggesting potential safety for therapeutic use. These findings support the potential application of T. ammi essential oil as a natural antimicrobial agent in food preservation and as a complementary treatment against antibiotic-resistant infections.

Additional Information

  • Source:Letters in Applied Microbiology. 2025/01, Vol. 78, Issue 1, p1
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Science
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0266-8254
  • DOI:10.1093/lambio/ovae138
  • Accession Number:182849324
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Letters in Applied Microbiology is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.