**2.5 Commercial (CB) and natural (EOs) biocides**

The antimicrobial activity of: (i) commercial EOs, *Melaleuca alternifolia* (Maiden and Betche) Cheel -Tea Tree Oil; (ii) laboratory distilled EOs (*Calamintha nepeta* (L.) Savi, *Allium sativum* L.; (iii) B*enzalkonium chloride* commercial biocides (CB), was tested by outlined *in vitro* assays [36–38].

The microbial taxa were *Bacillus subtilis*, *Micrococcus luteus*, *Penicillium chrysogenum*, *Aspergillus* spp.

## **2.6 Antimicrobial activity assays**

Three *in vitro* methods, *Agar disc diffusion*, *Well-plates diffusion*, and *Microdilution* in micro-titer plates [38, 43, 44] were performed:

