this study was conducted to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (mic) of cinnamomum zeylanicum and ocimum basilicum essential oils on staphylococcus aureus and assess their effects at sub mic levels on the growth and production of enterotoxins a, c and e. eos were obtained by hydrodistillation extraction using a clevenger apparatus and characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. the mics of eos were found to be 1% and 0.2% (v/v) for cinnamon and basil, respectively. after incubation for 360 minutes at 35^0c, 50% and 75% mic of basil (b) and 75% mic of cinnamon (c) eo decreased the growth rate of s. aureus significantly (p < 0.05). when cultured with eos at 75% mic, the transcriptional levels of the enterotoxin genes and the amount of enterotoxins secreted by s. aureus decreased significantly. the inhibitory effect of basil eo against s. aureus, both in growth and enterotoxin secretion, was higher than cinnamon (p < 0.05).