ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECTS OF SPICES AND HERBS

Copyright 1997 by O. Peter Sy!er

Ho"pit#$ity I"tit%te o& Te'ho$ogy #! M##ge(et) St. P#%$* Mie"ot#

Introduction
Spices and herbs have been used for thousands of centuries by many cultures to enhance the flavor and
aroma of foods. Early cultures also recognized the value of using spices and herbs in preserving foods and
for their medicinal value. Scientific experiments since the late 19th century have documented the
antimicrobial properties of some spices, herbs, and their components (17, 20).
Antimicrobial Effectiveness of Spices and Herbs
Table 1 describes the relative antimicrobial effectiveness of some spices and herbs.

T#b$e 1. Ati(i'robi#$ E&&e'ti+ee"" o& Spi'e" #! Herb",
Spices and Herbs
Inhibitory
Effect
Cinnamon, cloves, mustard Strong
llspice, bay leaf, cara!ay, coriander, cumin, oregano,
rosemary, sage, thyme
"edium
#lac$ pepper, red pepper, ginger %ea$
& dapted from 'ai$a (20).
Studies in the past decade confirm that the gro!th of both gram(positive and gram(negative foodborne
bacteria, yeast. and mold can be inhibited by garlic, onion, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, sage, and other spices.
Effects of the presence of these spices ) herbs can be seen in food products such as pic$les, bread, rice, and
meat products. The fat, protein, !ater, and salt contents of food influence microbial resistance. Thus, it is
observed that higher levels of spices are necessary to inhibit gro!th in food than in culture media (17).
Table * is a list of various spices and herbs and their inhibitory effect on various microorganisms.

T#b$e -. Ihibitory E&&e't" o& Spi'e" #! Herb",
Spice /
Herb
Microorganisms Reference
+arlic
Salmonella typhymurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus,
Bacillus subtilis, mycotoxigenic Aspergillus, Candida albicans
(1, , !, 1)
,nion Aspergillus "la#is, Aspergillus parasiticus (1$)
Cinnamon "ycotoxigenic Aspergillus, Aspergillus parasiticus (1, %, &)
Cloves "ycotoxigenic Aspergillus (1, 7)
"ustard "ycotoxigenic Aspergillus (1)
llspice "ycotoxigenic Aspergillus (1, 7)
,regano "ycotoxigenic Aspergillus, Salmonella spp', (ibrio parahaemolyticus
(1, 2, 10,
12)
-osemary Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, (ibrio parahaemolyticus (1!)
#ay leaf Clostridium botulinum ())
Sage Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, (ibrio parahaemolyticus (1), 1!)
Thyme (ibrio parahaemolyticus (2, 12)
& dapted from Shelef (17).
Microbial Contamination of Spices
Spices and herbs may be contaminated because of conditions in !hich they !ere gro!n and harvested.
Spores of both Clostridium per"ringens and Bacillus cereus have been found to be present in spices and
herbs (11, 1%). Contaminated spices have been reported to have been causes of foodborne illness and
spoilage. .e!er microorganisms are present in spices !ith higher antimicrobial activity such as sage,
cloves, and oregano. /o!ever, all spices and herbs should be cleaned and decontaminated !ith ethylene
oxide, irradiation, or other acceptable methods ($).
Antimicrobial Compounds in Spices and Herbs
Essential oils extracted from spices and herbs are generally recognized as containing the active
antimicrobial compounds. Table 0 is a list of the proximate essential oil content of some spices and herbs
and their antimicrobial components.

T#b$e .. Ati(i'robi#$ Co(poet" o& Spi'e" #! Herb",
Spice / Herb
Proimate Essential !il
Content "#$
Antimicrobial
Component"s$
+arlic 1.0 ( 1.2 llicin
"ustard 1.2 ( 1.1 llyl isothiocyanate
Cinnamon 1.2 ( *.1 Cinnamaldehyde, Eugenol
Cloves 13 ( 14 Eugenol
Sage 1.5 ( *.1 Thymol, Eugenol
,regano 1.4 ( 1.9 Thymol, Carvacrol
& dapted from Shelef (17).
llicin and allyl isothocyanate are sulfur(containing compounds. llicin, isolated from garlic oil, inhibits
the gro!th of both gram(negative and gram(positive bacteria. Sulfur(containing compounds are also
present in onions, lee$s, and chives.
Eugenol, carvacrol, and thymol are phenol compounds and, as Table 0 indicates, are found in cinnamon,
cloves, sage, and oregano. The essential oil fraction is particularly high in cloves, and eugenol comprises
926 of the fraction. The presence of these compounds in cinnamon and cloves, !hen added to ba$ery
items, function as mold inhibitors in addition to adding flavor and aroma to ba$ed products. 7aster et
al. (1&) have sho!n that essential oils of oregano and thyme 8!hich contain carvacrol and thymol9 are
effective as fumigants against fungi on stored grain. These investigators have proposed using them as an
alternative to chemicals for preseving stored grains.

Antioidant Action
Spice extractives, such as oleoresin of rosemary, can provide inhibition of oxidative rancidity and retard the
development of :!armed(over: flavor in some products. Thus, some spices not only provide flavor and
aroma to food and retard microbial gro!th, but are also beneficial in prevention of some off(flavor
development. These attributes are useful in the development of snac$ foods and meat products ($).
Summary
lthough the antimicrobial activity of some spices and herbs is documented, the normal amounts added to
foods for flavor is not sufficient to completely inhibit microbial gro!th. The antimicrobial activity varies
!idely, depending on the type of spice or herb, test medium, and microorganism. .or these reasons, spice
antimicrobials should not be considered as a primary preservative method ($)' /o!ever, the addition of
herbs and spices can be expected to aid in preserving foods held at refrigeration temperatures, at !hich the
multiplication of microorganisms is slo!.
'ai$a (20) has given an excellent summary of the antimicrobial effectiveness of spices and herbs. partial
listing of this summary is as follo!s.
1. "icroorganisms differ in their resistance to a given spice or herb.
*. given microorganism differs in its resistance to various spices and herbs.
0. #acteria are more resistant than fungi.
;. The effect on spores may be different than that on vegetative cells.
2. +ram(negative bacteria are more resistant than gram(positive bacteria.
3. The effect of a spice or herb may be inhibitory or germicidal.
5. Spices and herbs harbor microbial contaminants.
4. Spices and herbs may serve as substrates for microbial gro!th and toxin production.
9. mounts of spices and herbs added to foods are generally too lo! to prevent spoilage by
microorganisms.
11. ctive components of spices ) herbs at lo! concentrations may interact synergistically !ith other
factors 8<aCl, acids, preservatives9 to increase preservative effect.
11. <utrients present in spices ) herbs may stimulate gro!th and)or biochemical activities of
microorganisms.
Thus, food product safety and shelf life depend in some part on the type, =uantity, and character of spices
and herbs added to the products.

References
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spices, plant components and commercial antifungal agents. ?. .ood 7rotect. ;2@1*;4(1011.
*. #euchat, >. -. Sensitivity of (ibrio *arahaemolyticus to spices and organic acids' ?. .ood Sci.
;1@499(91*.
0. #ullerman, >. #. 195;. Anhibition of aflatoxin production by cinnamon. ?. .ood Sci. 09@1130(
1132.
;. #ullerman, >. #., >ieu, .. B., and Seier, S. . 1955. Anhibition of gro!th and aflatoxin production
by cinnamon and clove oils, cinnamic aldehyde and eugenol. ?. .ood Science. ;*@1115(1119,
1113.
2. Can$ert, ?., Tromp, Th. .. ?., Cevries, /. and Dlasen, /. ?. 1959. ntimicrobial activity of crude
Euices of Allium ascalonicum, Allium cepa and Allium sati#um. 'b. #$r. /yg., A. bt. ,rig.
*;2@**9(*09.
3. +iese, ?. 199;. Spices and seasoning blends@ taste for all seasons. .ood Technol. ;48;9@45(94.
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spices on gro!th and toxin production of toxigenic fungi. ppl. Env. "icrobiol. 09@414(4**.
4. /uhtanen, C. <. 1941. Anhibition of Clostridium botulinum by spice extracts and aliphatic
alcohols. ?. .ood 7rotect . ;0@192(193, *11.
9. ?ohnson, ". +., and Faught, -. /. 1939. Ceath of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia
coli in the presence of freshly reconstituted dehydrated garlic and onion. ppl. "icrobiol. 15@910(
912.
11. ?ulseth. -. ". and Ceibel, -. /. 195;. "icrobial profile of selected spices and herbs at import. ?.
"il$ .ood Technol. 05@;1;(;19.
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on the ustrian mar$et. ?. .ood 7rotect. 25@490(911
1*. >>e!ellyn, +.C., #ur$itt, ". >., and Eadie, T. 1941. 7otential mold gro!th, aflatoxin production
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3;8;9@922(931)
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1;. 7aster, <., "enasherov, "., -avid, G., and ?uven, #. 1992. ntifungal activity of oregano and
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Technol. 04@340(345.
13. Sharma, ., Te!ari, +. "., Shri$hande, . ?., 7ad!al(Cesai, S. -., and #andyopadhyay, C. 1959.
Anhibition aflatoxin producing fungi by onion extracts. ?. .ood Sci. ;;@12;2(12;5.
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and spoilage bacteria in sage containing broths and foods. ?. .ood Sci. 505(5;1, 419.
19. Shelef, >. ., <agli$, ,. ., and #ogen, C. %. 1941. Sensitivity of some common food(borne
bacteria to the spices sage, rosemary, and allspice. ?. .ood Sci. ;28;9@11;2(11;;.
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