Abstract

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF THULASI VETTILA AN INDIGENOUS CULTIVAR OF PIPER BETLE L. IN KERALA

Vrinda Raghavan, Oommen P. Saj and D. K. Sathish*

ABSTRACT

The essential oil of Thulasi vettila Cv Piper betle L., an indigenous climber plant of Kerala. Prevention of food spoilage and food poisoning pathogens is usually achieved by use of chemical preservatives which have highly negative effects including: human health hazards of the chemical applications, chemical residues in food and fees chains and acquisition of microbial resistance to the used chemicals. Because of such concerns, the importance to find potentially effective, healthy safer and natural alternative preservatives is increased. Within these texts, the essential oil of plant leaves was screened for its antibacterial activity against some foodborne pathogens viz. Vibrio cholerae MTCC3906, E. coli MTCC443, Bacillus sustilis MTCC121 and Staphylococcus aureus MTCC87. Experimental findings revealed that the essential oil of betel leaves potentially inhibit the growth of these foodborne pathogens. The essential oil of betel leaf might have a potential effective can be used as natural alternative preservatives to control food poisoning diseases and hazards of chemically antimicrobial agent applications.

Keywords: Essential Oil, Piper betle, antibacterial.