Antimicrobial effect of thyme essential oil against Salmonella enteritidis inoculated in flour and homogenized eggs

The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial effect of thyme essential oil against two strains of Salmonella enteritidis group D: reference strain ATCC 13076 and epidemical strain. The both strains of bacteria were inoculated separately up to concentration of 109 CFU/mL in the micellar solutions which were prepared as application of thyme essential oil in physiological solution up to final concentration of 1; 2.5 and 5%. That stock micellar solutions were used for preparing the mixture with white flour and homogenized eggs, separately. The prepared samples were cultivated on plate and exposed at a temperature of 37°C for 18 hours and at a temperature of 46°C for 9 hours (ISO 6579). GLM multivariate statistical model showed that the number of both strains of Salmonella enteritidis was significantly influenced by the thyme essential oil concentration, type of media and their interaction.The thyme essential oils might be useful in the control of Salmonella spp. in commercially produced food systems as an alternative of the chemical preservatives. Keywords: antimicrobial effect, thyme essential oil, Salmonella, flour, eggs