Antimicrobial Activity of Bulgarian Products and Their Extracts Containing Bioactive Components

Phytoncides are organic compounds, produced by plants in order to protect them from different microorganisms. Over the years a number of plants and their extracts are subjected to investigation of their antibacterial properties. The increase in the number of side reactions caused by antibiotics, and other drugs used in medical practice, turned back the attention of many scientists to studies of the properties and antibacterial activity of products from national cuisine. This paper reports on the antibacterial properties of honey, garlic, onions and their extracts, produced in Bulgaria. Arthrobacter oxydans 1388 (an example for Gram+ microorganism) and Pseudomonas fluorescens 1442 (an example of a Grammicroorganism) were selected as test microorganisms. Our studies have shown that Arthrobacter oxydans are sensitive to the antimicrobial activity of honey, while the Pseudomonas fluorescens show resistance. Garlic extracts have shown good activity against both Arthrobacter oxydans and Pseudomonas fluorescens.