Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026

The Effect of the Application of Thyme Essential Oil on Microbial Load During Meat Drying
Published on: March 14, 2018
Structural and bactericidal properties of imidazolium ionic liquid-based micelles of thyme essential oil
Salma Mokni1, Walid M Hassen1, Mayank1
1Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT), Quantum Semiconductors and Photon-based BioNanotechnology Group, Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-IRL3463, CNRS, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke 3000, boul. de l'Université Sherbrooke Québec J1K 0A5 Canada jan.j.dubowski@usherbrooke.ca.
Abstract:
We report the structural and bactericidal properties of the imidazolium ionic liquid (IL)-based micelles of Thymus capitatus (thyme) essential oil (EO). The formation of micelles was investigated by contact angle measurements, which revealed a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 2.5-3 µM for the IL mixed with thyme at 0.2 µL mL-1. The size, stability and self-assembly of EO-IL micelles in water were evaluated by the dynamic light scattering technique. It was determined that the self-dispersed micelles with a ∼400 nm diameter remained stable in a water environment for at least 6 months from their formation. The bactericidal properties of micelles investigated against S. aureus and E. coli under liquid-to-liquid conditions revealed a 6-log reduction in the bacterial concentration from 108 CFU mL-1 following 1 min exposure. Minimal bactericidal growth of both bacteria was observed under the CMC conditions. These results demonstrate the potential of EO-IL micelles as natural agents that self-disperse in water and kill bacteria at rapid rates.
Related Concept Videos
Chemical Agents for Microbial Control
Antimicrobial Effectiveness
Micelles
Biological Methods for Microbial Control
Surface Membrane Barriers
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Physical Methods for Controlling Microbial Growth: Radiation and Filtration

