Essential oils are highly complex volatile chemical compounds utilized for food preservation. The present study compares the antibacterial, and antibiofilm activities of essential oils (EOs) and their blends. Three EOs—basil, clove, and lemongrass—and their blends were evaluated against five food-borne bacterial pathogens. A concentration-dependent effect with maximum inhibition at minimum inhibitory concentration values was recorded while no synergistic activity was observed on blending of EOs. The mechanism of antibacterial action was identified as ROS burst, leakage of cytoplasmic content, and DNA degradation through fluorescence microscopy, electrical conductivity, and DNA cleavage studies. The role of EOs on biofilm growth was deciphered with lemongrass EO being most effective as it curbed biofilm formation on the surface of corn-starch packaging films. This work highlights the antibacterial action mechanism of EOs and their potential role in curtailing biofilm growth on food-grade packaging material.

精油是用于食品保存的高度复杂的挥发性化合物。本研究比较了精油 (EO) 及其混合物的抗菌和抗生物膜活性。三种环氧乙烷（罗勒、丁香和柠檬草）及其混合物针对五种食源性细菌病原体进行了评估。记录了在最小抑制浓度值下具有最大抑制的浓度依赖性效应，而在 EO 混合中没有观察到协同活性。通过荧光显微镜、电导率和 DNA 裂解研究，抗菌作用机制被确定为 ROS 爆发、细胞质内容物泄漏和 DNA 降解。环氧乙烷对生物膜生长的作用已被阐明，其中柠檬草环氧乙烷最有效，因为它抑制了玉米淀粉包装膜表面生物膜的形成。这项工作强调了环氧乙烷的抗菌作用机制及其在抑制食品级包装材料上生物膜生长方面的潜在作用。