Evaluation of antimicrobial activity and mechanism of Mentha longifolia L. essential oil

Abstract As the interest in “natural” and “safe” products grows, the use of natural products instead of synthetic preservatives to combat food spoilage and poisoning caused by microorganisms during processing and storage has become a prioritized option. The present research evaluated the antibacterial activity of the Mentha longifolia L. essential oil (MLEO) against several pathogenic bacteria, and the mechanism of action against methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Gas Chromatography Quadrupole Time‐of‐Flight Mass Spectrometry (GC‐Q‐TOF MS) analysis suggested that main components of MLEO were carvone (47.39%) and limonene (12.48%). The oil showed considerable antibacterial activity with MIC values of 0.394–1.576 mg/mL, and could be a promising bactericide. Non‐targeted metabolomics analysis based on GC‐Q‐TOF MS identified 66 different metabolites, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of these metabolites revealed that MLEO achieves the effects by affecting amino acid metabolism in MRSA.