Abstract
Addition of some spices to foods could not only impart flavor and pungent stimuli but also would provide antimicrobial property. In order to study the effect of spices (cinnamon, cloves and ginger), different concentrations (0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 g/L) in powder and in oil forms (individually and as a mixture) on some pathogenic microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonela sp., Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans) in liquid media were examined. The results showed that the highest inhibition percentage was recorded with spices mixture powder when compared to the other tested individual spice powder. The inhibition percentage of tested microorganisms was increased with the increment of spice mixture powder concentrations by different rates. The obtained results indicated that the spices mixture oils had a higher inhibition effect than that of spices mixture powder. Use of spice mixture oils or powders demonstrated synergistic inhibition effects of tested microorganisms when compared to each spice.