The biological role played by essential oils extracted from aromatic plants is progressively being recognized. This study evaluated the potential antibacterial activity of ten essential oils against Chromobacterium violaceum, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis by measuring their minimum inhibitory concentration. We found that essential oils exert different antimicrobial effects, with Origanum vulgare and Foeniculum vulgare demonstrating the most significant inhibitory effect on bacterial growth for C. violaceum and E. faecalis. The growth of P. aeruginosa was not affected by any essential oil concentration we used. Sub-inhibitory concentrations of essential oils reduced in C. violaceum and E. faecalis biofilm formation, violacein amount, and gelatinase activity, all of which are biomarkers of the Quorum Sensing process. These concentrations significantly affect the global methylation profiles of cytosines and adenines, thus leading to the hypothesis that the oils also exert their effects through epigenetic changes. Considering the results obtained, it is possible that essential oils can find a broad spectrum of applications in counteracting microbial contamination and preserving sterility of surfaces and foods, as well as inhibiting microbial growth of pathogens, alone or in combination with traditional antibiotics.
Keywords: MBC; MIC; adenine methylation; antimicrobials; biofilm; cytosine methylation; epigenetics; essential oils; nutrition; quorum sensing.