agronomy Article Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties of Essential Oils from Four Wild Taxa of Lamiaceae Family Growing in Apulia Francesca Valerio 1,* , Giuseppe N. Mezzapesa 2 , Ahmed Ghannouchi 2 , Donato Mondelli 2 , Antonio F. Logrieco 1 and Enrico V. Perrino 2 1 Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy, Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy;
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[email protected] (G.N.M.);
[email protected] (A.G.);
[email protected] (D.M.);
[email protected] (E.V.P.) * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: Four taxa of the Lamiaceae family growing in Apulia (Clinopodium suaveolens, Satureja mon- tana subsp. montana, Thymbra capitata, and Salvia fruticosa subsp. thomasii) that had not been previously studied for their potential use in the food sector, were analyzed for their essential oils (EOs) composi- tion and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against some microorganisms, isolated from bread and bakery products, including molds (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium roqueforti) and spore-forming bac- teria (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis). Two different sites were considered for each plant species, and the strongest antimicrobial EOs, which were active against all of the microorganisms tested, were those from one S. montana subsp. montana sample (Sm2) and both T. capitata EOs (Tc1 Citation: Valerio, F.; Mezzapesa, and Tc2) with Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values ranging between 0.093% and 0.375% G.N.; Ghannouchi, A.; Mondelli, D.; (v/v) against molds, while higher values were registered for bacteria (0.75–1%).