The physicochemical properties, composition and antimicrobial activity of cinnamon essential oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) were
studied. The bioactivity of this essential oil against Paenibacillus larvae was analyzed by means of a combination of in vitro techniques,
such as the tube dilution method and bioautography, a method employed to localize antibacterial activity on a chromatogram.
Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol proved to have antibacterial effects against P. larvae. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and
minimal bactericide concentration (MBC) for C. zeylanicum essential oil were between 25-100 μg/ml and 125-250 μg/ml, respectively,
for all strains. Essential oil and, especially, two of its main components presented inhibitory capacity against strains of P. larvae.