1Amity Institute of Microbial Biotechnology, Amity University, Sector 125, Noida-201301, UP, India
2Amity Phytomedicines Department, Amity University, Sector 125, Noida-201301, UP, India
*Author for correspondence: Email: rsingh3@amity.edu
Online published on 11 January, 2013.
Long-chain fatty acids have antibacterial activity and are the key ingredients of antimicrobial food additives and some antibacterial herbs. Twelve different gram positive and gram negative microbial strains were used to test the anti microbial activity of apricot and walnut oil. Apricot oil exhibited antimicrobial effect against gram positive and gram negative strains while walnut oil showed this effect against gram positive strains only. The emulsion of both the oils in equal ratio exhibited antimicrobial activity against B. subtilis, B. cereus, B. licheniformis, E. coli, K. pneumonia, S. marcescens and P. hauseri. Fatty acid composition of apricot and walnut oils revealed the unsaturated fatty acid dominance. The major components namely myristic, linoleic and oleic acids exhibited antimicrobial activity against all the strains used. Hence apricot and walnut oils can be used as alternative sources against microbial infections and in food preservation.
Stone fruit, apricot oil, walnut oil, fatty acids, myristic acid, linoleic acid, antimicrobial activity
