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The current study aimed to investigate the antiradical and antibacterial potential of pure and its nanoemulsified (NNE) Nepeta pogonosperma essential oil (PNE). Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil against two Gram-positive ( E. faecalis and B. cereus ) and two Gram-negative ( M. catarrhalis and K. pneumonia ) food-related pathogens during 60-day storage was investigated based on disc diffusion, minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The chemical compounds of Nepeta essential oil were estimated by GC/MS. The physical properties of the nanoemulsion including polydispersity index (PDI), mean particle diameter, and viscosity were also determined. 4aα,7α,7aβ-Nepetalactone (46.31%), 1,8-cineole (23.13%), and (Z)-α-bisabolene (4.01%) were the main compounds of this essential oil. The Nepeta nanoemulsion had a mean droplet diameter of 254.07 nm, PDI of 0.281, and viscosity of 0.887 cP. NNE had stability for up to 60 days. The PNE showed a higher IC 50 value than NNE ( p  < .05). During storage, the antiradical performance of both PNE and NNE was decreased ( p  < .05). However, emulsification was successful to control this decreasing trend. E. faecalis was the most susceptible bacteria to PNE and NNE, while the lowest inhibition zone was obtained for K. pneumoniae . At the first time, the antibacterial effect of PNE was more than NNE. However, over time nanoemulsion became more successful in maintaining its antibacterial effect. Overall, the incorporation of Nepeta pogonosperma essential oil into a nanoemulsion system can be a promising system to maintain the bioactivity of the essential oil for a longer time., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)