Comparative Antimicrobial Activity of Essential oils of Cuminum cyminum L. and Foeniculum vulgare Mill. seeds against Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli

The composition of essential oils obtained from the seeds of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Cuminum cyminum L. were analysed using GC and GC-MS. The antimicrobial activities of the essential oils were conducted by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by agar dilution method. The essential oils of the seeds of F. vulgare showed maximum zone of inhibition 33 mm against S. typhimurium and 28 mm against E. coli respectively, while C. cyminum showed zone of inhibition 22 mm and 17 mm against S. typhimurium and E. coli respectively. MICs of essential oils were tested at concentration ranging from 2.0 to 0.0075 % (v/v). The F. vulgare essential oil showed lowest MIC values 0.031 and 0.062 % (v/v) against S. typhimurium and E. coli respectively, while C. cyminum showed MIC vaules 0.125 and 0.250 % (v/v) against S. typhimurium and E. coli respectively. The results showed that essential oil of F..vulgare is more effective than C. cyminum and S. typhimurium is more susceptible for the tested spices as compared to E. coli. The GC-MS data showed the main component found in F. vulgare Mill essential oil was identified as trans-anethole (50.4 %), methylchavicol (22.4 %), limonene (11.4 %) and fenchone (11.1 %) whereas gamma-terpin-7-al (22.9 %), gamma-terpinene (22.6 %), beta-pinene (22.2 %) and cuminaldehyde (13.1 %) were the major compounds in C. cyminum L.