Abstract: The study describes the antimicrobial activity of garlic essential oil. The antimicrobial activity of the oil was evaluated using agar diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The sample of the essential oil was analyzed by GC–MS. Diallyl trisulfide (49.23%) and diallyl disulfide (19.35%) appeared as the main components. The antimicrobial effect of the garlic oil was studied in vitro against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Aspergillus nigar and Candida albicans. The antimicrobial test results showed that the oils had a great potential antimicrobial activity against all 8 microorganisms especially to Aspergillus nigar, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Results presented here may suggest that the essential oil of garlic possesses antimicrobial properties, and therefore is a potential source of antimicrobial ingredients for the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Key words: garlic, essential oil, antimicrobial activity, GC-MS