Tracy, over at Eat This, is observing cilantro week, and I thought I’d join in. I love the smell of cilantro, although I have to admit, it was an acquired taste. There was a period after a visit to Thailand, that I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I think they put cilantro, or more popularly called coriander, over everything!
Tracy’s latest cilantro entry in the series talk about its antibacterial properties against Salmonella, that bug that causes food poisoning.
Coriander seeds and cilantro leaves contain an antibacterial chemical called dodecenal that kicks some serious Salmonella butt.
Researchers at the University of California, …read more

In a previous entry on healing herbs, I mentioned that garlic has antimicrobial properties. Now, scientists at The University of Nottingham will be conducting a study to see if garlic can help control Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis patients, where lung infections are quite prevalent.
Dr Alan Smyth of the University’s School of Human Development, who is leading the project, said: “The garlic components inhibit a bacterial communication system called quorum sensing (QS). This is responsible for the germ forming tenacious colonies in the lungs called ‘biofilms’. The QS molecules also switch on bacterial weapons such as ‘elastase’, an …read more

Not only are wines good for your heart, but adding herbs and spices can also render wine a good shield against bacterial infections. David Biello summarized some of them in his entry on the chemistry of wine:
[snip]…simply adding oregano leaves to either white or red wine can protect against bacteria such as Escherica coli or Salmonella enterica when applied to food. The oregano leaves contain carvacrol, which disrupts the bacteria’s cell walls.
Other spices such as cloves, cinammon and lemongrass also add to the antimicrobial properties of alcohol, making it an ideal preservative or marinade. They say it can also be …read more