Planta Med 2011; 77 - PN5
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1282988

Antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Mountain Savory (Satureja montana) against Arcanobacterium pyogenes

RD Ratajac 1, D Stojanovic 1, J Petrovic 1, D Milanov 1, R Vasic 2, I Stojanov 1, B Lako 3
  • 1Scientific Veterinary Institute Novi Sad, Rumenacki Put 20 Novi Sad, 21 000, Serbia
  • 2Institute of Field and Vegatable Crops, Maksima Gorkog 30 Novi Sad, 21 000, Serbia
  • 3Faculty of Agriculture, Square Dositeja Obradovica 8 Novi Sad, 21 000, Serbia

The pharmaceutical properties of aromatic plants are partially attributed to essential oils (EOs) which are widely used to prevent and treat human diseases [1]. However, little is known about the control of infective animal diseases with EOs.

Arcanobacterium pyogenes (AP) is one of the important opportunistic pathogens of the upper respiratory and genital tracts of cattle, sheep, swine, and many other species [2]. Most frequently, this bacteria is isolated from inflamed lung lesions of pigs and cattle, in the samples of uterine mucos of sows and cows with endometritis and the milk from cows with clinical mastitis.

Antimicrobial activity of Mountain Savory (Satureja montana) L. (SM) was detected in vitro conditions against Clostridium perfringens type A [3] and Staphylococcus aureus [4]. Therefore, it is assumed that SM can react against AP and therapeutic potential against bacterial infection in animals.

The EO of the cultivated SM (Serbia), was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography. According to compositional analysis of the SM EO, 27 chemical compounds were identified, and carvacrol (42.12%), linalool (24.57%) and p-cymene (19.85%) were found as predominant compounds in oil. Antibacterial sensitivity of AP (ATCC 19411) and other 18 isolates (field strain originating from swine-uterus and cattle-uterus and milk) were tested in vitro using an Agar Dilution Test to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC).

The results obtained have shown that EO applied at a concentration of 0.78µl ml-1, which was defined as the MIC, exhibited antimicrobial activity against all AP in the in vitro assays.

Keywords: essential oil, Satureja montana, Arcanobacterium pyogenes, antibacterial MIC

Acknowledgement: This work was supported by a grant from scientific project TR 031071 of Ministry of Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia

References: 1. Edris AE (2007) Phytother Res 21: 308–323

2. Liu M-C et al. (2009)J Dairy Sci 92: 3659–3666

3. de Olivera TLC et al. (2011) Intern J Food Microbiol 144(3): 546–555

4. Donaldson J R et al. (2005) Pharmaceutical Biology 43: 687–695