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The solubility in water of essential oil constituents is directly related to their ability to penetrate the cell walls of a bacterium or fungus. The antimicrobial activity of essential oils is due to their solubility in the phospholipid bilayer of cell membranes. Terpenoids which are characterized by their lability have been found to interfere with the enzymatic reactions of energy metabolism.
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Knobloch et al. (1989) studied this question.
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