Antimicrobial activity of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) essential oil and its main components against Paenibacillus larvae from Argentine

The physicochemical properties, composition and antimicrobial activity of cinnamon essential oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) were studied. The bioactivity of this essential oil against Paenibacillus larvae was analyzed by means of a combination of in vitro techniques, such as the tube dilution method and bioautography, a method employed to localize antibacterial activity on a chromatogram. Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol proved to have antibacterial effects against P. larvae. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericide concentration (MBC) for C. zeylanicum essential oil were between 25-100 kg/ml and 125-250 kg/ml, respectively, for all strains. Essential oil and, especially, two of its main components presented inhibitory capacity against strains of P. larvae.