Antimicrobial activity of essential oils of cidreira-herb and basil against bacteria from bovine meat/Atividade antimicrobiana dos oleos essenciais de erva-cidreira e manjericao frente a bacterias de carnes bovinas

The aim of this work is to evaluate, in vitro, the antimicrobial activity of essential oils from Lippia alba (Mill) N. E. Brown and Ocimum basilicum against microorganisms isolated from beef. The oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed for composition by gas chromatography. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration of oil (MBC) were determined by the microplate method using oils concentrations between 0.39 and 25[micro]g/mL. The suspensions of different strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella sp. at 0.5 x[10.sup.4] CFU /mL. The essential oil of Lippia alba NE Brown was more efficient as bacteriostatic and bactericidal agent against the different strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella sp., isolated from bovine meat, than essential oil of Ocimum basilicum (cultivar "Maria Bonita"), which was more effective against the strains of Escherichia coli. Moreover, the essential oils showed antibacterial activity significantly more effective than those obtained by other researchers.