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NEW PERSPECTIVES IN THE ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF THYME AND OREGANO ESSENTIAL OILS

NELI ERMENLIEVA 1, SYLVIA STAMOVA 2*, GABRIELA TSANKOVA 1, EMILIA GEORGIEVA 3

1Department of Microbiology and Virusology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria
2Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria
3Training Sector “Medical Laboratory Technician”, Medical College, Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria

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The present study investigates the antimicrobial activity of oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) essential oils against seven clinically relevant microbial strains, including Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, and Candida albicans. Using gas chromatography, the chemical composition of both oils was identified, with carvacrol being the major compound in oregano oil (81.20%) and thymol dominating thyme oil (41.84%). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were determined. Oregano oil demonstrated stronger antimicrobial efficacy, particularly against Gram-negative strains such as E. coli and P. aeruginosa, while thyme oil showed higher potency against Gram-positive Bacillus spizizenii. The results confirm the potential use of these essential oils as natural antimicrobial agents, either alone or in combination with conventional antibiotics, contributing to combatting antimicrobial resistance and offering possible applications in medical and food preservation fields.