Damir Beatovic

Antibacterial activity of aromatic plants essential oils from Serbia against the Listeria monocytogenes

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of selected essential oils for the control of the growth and survival of pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19112 and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19115, which are of significant importance in food hygiene. Essential oils extracted from Salvia officinalis L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Majorana hortensis Moench., Thymus vulgaris L., Carum carvi L., Pimpinella anisum L. and Coriandrum sativum L. were evaluated. Antibacterial activity was done by the disk diffusion method in the presence of pure essential oils and four suspensions in alcohol. The best results obtained with Thymus vulgaris and Majorana hortensis essential oils, which were acting microbicidaly on both observed strains of Listeria monocytogenes, even in the small concentration. Because some of the essential oils were highly inhibitory even in small quantities to selected pathogenic bacteria, they may provide alternatives to conventional antimicrobial additives in foods. .

Salt tolerance of corn genotypes (Zea mays L.) during germination and later growth

Since corn is grown in climatically diverse regions and under different production conditions, assuming that high salinity in the substrate affect corn seed performance, such conditions were simulated in this study in order to examine their effects on seedling geminability and length in several corn genotypes. The study showed that the tested seeds tolerated the stress conditions up to a certain point. The studied genotypes differed in level of resistance to the stress conditions. Salt concentrations were determined, which were capable of affecting negatively seed germinability and seedling growth.