Essential oils - The answer to antibiotic resistance?
							    
						     
								In light of increasing numbers of bacteria being resistant to antibiotics and the potential transmission from livestock to humans, researchers have recently focused on essential oils investigating their potential antimicrobial properties. The  antimicrobial  activities  of  diverse  essential  oils  and  terpenoids  have  been investigated  in  several  studies  in  a  variety  of  bacterial  strains.  Results  revealed  that  essential  oils  possess  growth  inhibition  activities  against  a  wide range of microorganisms, including foodborne pathogens, bacteria and yeasts in vitro. Aiming  on  an  alternative  to  conventional  antimicrobial  products,  the  antimicrobial  activities  of  essential oils  should target on specific pathogens relevant for animal infectious diseases. Furthermore, studies need to be conducted in a way allowing for quantitative estimation of antibacterial properties, thereby establishing a relationship between concentration and inhibition to define appropriate use conditions. This review discusses the current knowledge on the antimicrobial potential of essential oils compared to conventional antibiotics. Further, the use of essential oils in feed additives is discussed.
						     
							    DATE » 16.06.2015
						     
							    AUTHORS » D. Pfeifer, B. Lohr, K. Hellmann
						     
								PUBLISHED » XVII International Congress on Animal Hygiene 2015, Košice, Slovakia, June 9th, 2015.