COVILHÃ, Portugal—Oil from the popular spice coriander effectively kills pathogenic bacteria related to foodborne diseases and hospital infections, according to a new study published in the journal of Medical Microbiology.
Researchers at the University of Beira Interior tested coriander oil against 12 bacterial strains, including E. coli, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus cereus and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Most strains were killed by solutions containing 1.6% coriander oil or less; the sterilized coriander oil did not work against two types of bacteria, Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis.
Propidium iodide incorporation and concomitant loss of all other cellular functions such as efflux activity, respiratory activity and membrane potential seem to suggest that the primary mechanism of action of coriander oil is membrane damage, which leads to cell death. The researchers said the findings further support the use of coriander oil in antibacterial formulations because coriander oil effectively kills pathogenic bacteria related to foodborne diseases and hospital infections.
