Composition, quality control and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) seeds from Bulgaria that had been stored for up to 36 years

The essential oil of seeds of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) from Bulgaria stored for more than 35 years was analyzed by physicochemical methods, GC, GC-MS and olfactometry and its antimicrobial activity tested using different strains of microorganisms. More than sixty constituents of this cumin oil could be identified as essential volatiles, responsible for the pleasant fresh, clean, spicy (typical cumin-like) odour of a high quality product. Cumin aldehyde (36%), beta-pinene (19.3%), p-cymene (18.4%) and gamma-terpinene (15.3%) were the principal compounds found. Antimicrobial testing showed high activity of the essential C. cyminum oil against the mold Aspergillus niger, the Gram (+) bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis as well as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans.