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Antifungal and antibacterial activities of essential oils obtained from fennel seeds (Feoniculum vulgare Mill) and clove buds (Syzygium aromaticum) were studied by agar well dilution technique. Both essential oils (EOs) from fennel and clove exhibited pronounced and varying degrees of growth inhibition against fungal (86 to 39%) and bacterial pathogens (42 to 20%). Fennel oil depicted significant and greater fungitoxicity in case of three fungal strains Alternaria alternate (7.7, 3.8 cm) Fusarium oxysporum (5.9, 4.1 cm) and Aspergillus flavus (4.5, 3.7 cm) except two Aspergillus strains, Aspergillus acculeatus and Apergillus fumigatus where clove oil showed greater inhibition zone (5.5, 5.9 cm) (3.5, 3.7 cm) respectively. A. alternate was found to be most sensitive strain, which growth was suppressed up to 86% by fennel seeds oil. Bactericidal activity of culinary spices was evaluated against five food spoilage bacteria namely: Pseudomonas syringae, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus sp. , and Aeromicrobium erythreum . Fennel oil was found fairly active against bacterial strains as compared to clove oil with highest antibacterial activity against Gram positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis (3.8 cm) and least against Gram negative bacteria E. coli (2.2 cm). The summarizing results from the present investigation showed that fennel seeds oil is a relatively stronger antimicrobial agent against broad range of pathogens as compared to clove oil, except in case of certain Aspergillus strains and E. coli. Key words : Food spoilage, anti-bacterial, pathogenic fungi, clove, fennel, essential oil.

The inhibitory effects of some bio-products on the infestation of Ceratitis capitataWied were studied. Fully ripe fruits of red mombin (Spondias purpurea L.) were cleaned, dried and treated with the products: Proagrim, essential oils of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) and orange (Citrus sinensis L.), at concentrations of 0.0 (control), 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0% (w/v). The results obtained in the no-choice test revealed that the products significantly affected the infestation by C. capitata on red mombin fruit. That is, the mean of the infestation (number of larvae/female) of C. capitata ranged from 1.02 (3%) to 1.65 (1%) in fruits that were dressed with essential oil of orange, 0.07 (3%) to 0.25 (1%) for those treated with essential oil of fennel and 0.95 (3%) to 2.1 (1%) in the ones treated with proagrim. The free-choice test results confirmed those of the no choice test. The effective concentration to inhibit 50% infestation of C. capitata for fennel oil was estimated at 1.05% (w/v), which was significantly lower than the corresponding concentration for oil orange (2.11%) and proagrim (2.05%). Therefore, the essential oil of fennel is more efficient as compared to other products in reducing the infestation of this insect. Key words: Bio-products, Mediterranean fly, Spondias purpurea.