Catnip oil contains the compound pulegone which exhibits antimicrobial activity against Salmonella species. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Calamintha nepeta and its constituent pulegone against bacteria and fungi.
Phytother Res. 1999 Jun;13(4):349-51. PMID: 10404547
The chemical composition of the essential oil of Calamintha nepeta and its antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella veneziana, S. paratyphi B. S. typhimurium, Fusarium moniliforme, Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus niger and Pyricularia oryzae have been studied. Moreover the main constituents of the oil (limonene, menthone, pulegone, menthol) have been tested against the same microorganisms. Only pulegone showed antimicrobial activity, particularly against all the Salmonella species.