Analysis and evaluation of antibacterial effects of new herbal formulas, AP-001 and AP-002, against Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Aims: Over the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in the use of natural substances for promoting human and animal health. Antibiotic resistance, enhanced by excessive use of antibiotics, has encouraged human and animal health authorities to consider and employ alternative approaches, including herbal and botanical medicine to combat invading microorganisms. Herein, the essential oils of Thymus vulgaris, Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Eucalyptus globulus, Salvia officinalis, Dianthus caryophyllus, Mentha spicata and Mentha piperita, were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against standard Escherichia coli O157:H7 by disk diffusion method.