ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF Lippia gracilis SCHAUER ESSENTIAL OIL ON IMPORTANTS PATHOGENS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY

The microbial resistence to antibiotics is a serious problem of public heath. Pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococccus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermis present resistant strains, representing a serious danger to human health The prospection of antimicrobial phytochemical is sighted how a possible solution to the problem. The vegetal species essential oil of the caatinga have bin tested about its antimicrobial potential. Among the medicinal species essential oil producer at the caatinga is fended the Lippia gracilis Schauer, which phytocomplex contains carvacrol, thymol e rho-cymeno, in variable concentrations. Despite its composition and biological activity sight to practice applications in the control of human pathogens, the action of the essential oil of this specie on pathogenic bacteria still wasn't justly evaluated. Quadruplicates of petri plates containing Mueller-Hington agar were spreader in surface with padronized cultures of the mentioned microorganisms. Well with 10mm of diameter were perforated un which were inoculated 100 mu L from each diluition of Lippia gracilis essential oil. The plates were incubated at 35 +/- 2 degrees C/24h. The halos of inhibitions were mensurated with paquimeter. All the microorganism-target were strongly inhibited. The larger inhibition reached with E.O. non-diluted on the S. epidermis. S. aureus were the most sensible, being inhibited in concentrations of E.O. of 9 mu L/mL. L. monocytogenes also was strongly inhibited by the Lippia gracilis essential oil.