Essential oils - The answer to antibiotic resistance?
In light of increasing numbers of bacteria being resistant to antibiotics and the potential transmission from livestock to humans, researchers have recently focused on essential oils investigating their potential antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial activities of diverse essential oils and terpenoids have been investigated in several studies in a variety of bacterial strains. Results revealed that essential oils possess growth inhibition activities against a wide range of microorganisms, including foodborne pathogens, bacteria and yeasts in vitro. Aiming on an alternative to conventional antimicrobial products, the antimicrobial activities of essential oils should target on specific pathogens relevant for animal infectious diseases. Furthermore, studies need to be conducted in a way allowing for quantitative estimation of antibacterial properties, thereby establishing a relationship between concentration and inhibition to define appropriate use conditions. This review discusses the current knowledge on the antimicrobial potential of essential oils compared to conventional antibiotics. Further, the use of essential oils in feed additives is discussed.
DATE »
16.06.2015
AUTHORS »
D. Pfeifer, B. Lohr, K. Hellmann
PUBLISHED »
XVII International Congress on Animal Hygiene 2015, Košice, Slovakia, June 9th, 2015.