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This work evaluates the antimicrobial activity of widespread hydrophobic essential oil (EO) constituents, 3 hydrocarbon monoterpenes (α-pinene, β-pinene, and p-cymene) and 8 oxygenated monoterpenes (thymol, carvacrol, borneol, linalool, terpineol-4-ol, 1,8-cineole, α-terpinyl acetate, and camphor), as a function of the treatment medium pH, and possible synergistic effects in combination with mild heat or pulsed electric fields (PEF) treatments. Results obtained using the disk diffusion technique highlight phenols and alcohols as the best growth inhibitors and discount hydrocarbons due to their poorer activity. However, the evaluation of the bactericidal effect at pH 4.0 shows that most compounds assayed, including some hydrocarbons, were very effective against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Most EO constituents caused membrane permeabilization and sublethal injuries within survivors …