Abstract
Essential oils are natural antimicrobials that have the potential to provide a safer alternative to synthetic antimicrobials currently used in the food industry. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oils from white wormwood, rose-scented geranium and bay laurel against Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on fresh produce and to examine consumer acceptability of fresh produce treated with these essential oils. Our results showed that essential oil derived from rose-scented geranium exhibited the most effective antimicrobial activity at the same and similar minimum inhibition concentration levels (0.4%, v/v and 0.4% and 0.5%, v/v) respectively against Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7. All three essential oils showed antioxidant properties, with the highest activity occurring in bay laurel essential oil. In a sensory test, tomatoes, cantaloupe and spinach sprayed with 0.4% rose-scented geranium essential oil received higher scores by panelists. In conclusion, rose-scented geranium essential oil could be developed into a natural antimicrobial to prevent contamination of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in fresh produce, plus this oil would provide additional health benefits due to the antioxidant properties of its residue.
Highlights
Foodborne illnesses are an increasingly common public health problem around the world [1].These illnesses are generally caused by the consumption of foods contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms during different stages of pre- and post-harvest processing
To examine the effects of white wormwood, rose-scented geranium and bay laurel essential oils on the growth of S. typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7, bacterial growth was monitored by measuring turbidity as optical density (O.D.) in 2 h intervals during 8 h of incubation with the essential oils
The addition of 0.1% white wormwood and rose-scented geranium essential oils resulted in a 97% reduction in the O.D. of S. typhimurium, whereas
Summary
Foodborne illnesses are an increasingly common public health problem around the world [1].These illnesses are generally caused by the consumption of foods contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms during different stages of pre- and post-harvest processing. Among these pathogens, Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) and E. coli O157:H7 were more likely to contaminate meat and fresh produce in the U.S [2,3]. Synthetic antimicrobials have been associated with health problems such as hypersensitivity, allergies, asthma, hyperactivity and cancer [4]. These effects may be due to the direct side effects of food consumption containing antimicrobials during long- or short-term periods or due to the presence of residues of antimicrobials on foods [4]. Synthetic antimicrobials can kill both bad and good bacteria in the human intestine [5], which could result in negative health
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