Abstract
Four taxa of the Lamiaceae family growing in Apulia (Clinopodium suaveolens, Satureja montana subsp. montana, Thymbra capitata, and Salvia fruticosa subsp. thomasii) that had not been previously studied for their potential use in the food sector, were analyzed for their essential oils (EOs) composition and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against some microorganisms, isolated from bread and bakery products, including molds (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium roqueforti) and spore-forming bacteria (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis). Two different sites were considered for each plant species, and the strongest antimicrobial EOs, which were active against all of the microorganisms tested, were those from one S. montana subsp. montana sample (Sm2) and both T. capitata EOs (Tc1 and Tc2) with Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values ranging between 0.093% and 0.375% (v/v) against molds, while higher values were registered for bacteria (0.75–1%). In particular, the biological activity of EOs from T. capitata and S. montana subsp. montana was maybe due to the high amount of thymol and carvacrol, which were also responsible for the highest antioxidant activity. S. fruticosa subsp. thomasii EOs had different chemical profiles but showed only a slight antibacterial effect and no antifungal activity. C. suaveolens showed no significant changes between EOs with an interesting antifungal activity (MIC 0.093%÷0.187% v/v), which may be due to the presence of pulegone. These plant species can be considered as promising sources of bioactive compounds to be exploited as biopreservatives in bread and bakery products mainly considering the low concentration needed to inhibit microorganism’s growth.
Highlights
Bread and bakery products represent fundamental foods in the daily diet
Four taxa of the Lamiaceae family growing in Apulia (Clinopodium suaveolens, Satureja montana subsp. montana, Thymbra capitata, and Salvia fruticosa subsp. thomasii) that had not been previously studied for their potential use in the food sector, were analyzed for their essential oils (EOs) composition and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against some microorganisms, isolated from bread and bakery products, including molds (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium roqueforti) and spore-forming bacteria (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis)
Two different sites were considered for each plant species, and the strongest antimicrobial EOs, which were active against all of the microorganisms tested, were those from one S. montana subsp. montana sample (Sm2) and both T. capitata EOs (Tc1 and Tc2) with Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values ranging between 0.093% and 0.375% (v/v) against molds, while higher values were registered for bacteria (0.75–1%)
Summary
Bread and bakery products represent fundamental foods in the daily diet They are considered as staple foods, the microbiological spoilage occurs a few days after production if no preservative systems have been used, causing economic losses for industries and consumers due to the wastes. The use of essential oils from medicinal plants in food manufacturing is an ancient technology mainly used to add specific flavor to foods. These substances contain a complex pattern of chemical compounds (essential oils, hereafter EOs) characterized by several biological activities as antioxidants, antimicrobial, anticancer, etc. These activities are different for bacteria and fungi; some bacteria are more susceptible to essential oils because there are no hydrophilic lipopolysaccharides in the outer membrane that ensure protection to antimicrobial compounds [17], whereas the antifungal activities of essential oils are manifold: they have an action on the disintegration of fungal hyphae operated by the terpene compounds or increase the membrane permeability and influence the enzymes involved in the synthesis of the cell wall [18,19]
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