Macelignan is a bioactive compound isolated from nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) which has been traditionally used for the food and pharmaceutical purposes. In this study, the activities of macelignan against vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus cereus were evaluated in vitro. Our results showed that the vegetative cells of B. cereus were significantly inhibited in growth by macelignan with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of $4{mu}g/mL$. The vegetative cells of B. cereus were completely killed with minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of $8{mu}g/mL$ of macelignan. Killing time of macelignan against vegetative cells of B. cereus was very fast; endpoint of macelignan was reached after 4 hr of incubation at $4{ imes}MIC$. Macelignan inactivated more than 3-log (99.9%) of spores/mL of B. cereus at the concentration of $100{mu}g/mL$. Macelignan was found to be effective against vegetative cells and spores of B. cereus. These results suggest that macelignan might be good to be developed as a food preservative.