An Investigation of the Bactericidal and Fungicidal Effects of Algerian Propolis Extracts and Essential Oils

Natural products have been used in medicine for variety of purposes for centuries. As a natural product, propolis is gaining increasing importance today due to its antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of extracts and essential oils of propolis collected from various regions of Algeria against food-borne and clinically pathogen microorganisms including Salmonella enteritidis RSKK 171, Shigella sonnei MU:57 and Candida glabrata RSKK 04019. The antimicrobial activity of the propolis extracts and essential oils were evaluated using disc diffusion method. The results showed that all propolis extracts and essential oils exhibited antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms with inhibition zones varied from 8.31 mm to 14.53 mm. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal or fungicidal concentration (MBC or MFC) of the samples were determined by microdilution-broth method. The MIC and MBC or MFC values were in the range of 0.25-2 µg/µl and 0.25-4 µg/µl. Therefore, propolis extracts and essential oils from different regions of Algeria have potential to be used as a natural additive for food and pharmaceutical industries.