GC-MS Analysis and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils of Five Syzygium Species Leaves

Abstract

<p class="Abstract">The essential oil can inhibit pathogenic bacterial activities, which can be developed to be a natural preservative for food. This research aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the essential oils from five species Syzygium on <em>Bacillus cereus</em>, <em>Escherichia coli</em>, <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em>,<em> Staphylococcus aureus,</em> and <em>Salmonella enterica sv Typhimurium</em>. The research results show that five <em>Syzygium sp.</em> Essential oils have moderate antibacterial properties with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 250 ‒ 500 μg/mL<em>. S. polyanthum</em> essential oils have the highest antibacterial activity than the rest species on <em>B. cereus</em> at 250 μg/mL. Meanwhile, the essential oil of <em>S. polycephalum</em> also showed the highest antibacterial activity with a MIC value of 250 μg/mL against <em>L. monocytogenes</em>. The chemical component analysis using GC-MS shows the main constituents farnesol, nerolidol, and n-decanal, presenting the antibacterial effect.</p>