**5. Conclusions**

These studies have shown that the essential oils of *C. zeylanicum* (cinnamon), *O. vulgare* (oregano), *Z. officinale* (ginger), *R. officinalis* (rosemary), *C. longa* L. (saffron) and *C. latifolia* (Tahiti lemon), in the chemical composition, presented a mixture of mono- and sesquiterpenes, with the major constituents being cinnamic aldehyde (46.30%), cis-p-menth-2-en-1-ol (33.8%), α-zingiberene (27.14%), camphor (37%), turmerone (55.43%) and limonene dioxide (25.92%), respectively. Results of disc diffusion showed the essential oil of *C. longa* as the oil with the highest bactericidal action independent of the bacteria strain; however, the lowest bactericidal concentration observed was the lowest concentration of *C. zeylanicum* essential oil (83.33 μg mL-1) in *S. aureus* strains. The antioxidant activity of *O. vulgare* presented the percentage of inhibition of the 90.74% radical by 50 μg mL<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> having the EC50 of 14 μg mL<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> . These results indicate that bioactive molecules present in the essential oils of the species tested presented antimicrobial activity and antioxidant action. These characteristics contribute to the control of microorganisms and help increase the shelf life of foods.
