Characterization of Chayotextle Starch Films Supplemented with Essential Oils and Their Effect as a Coating on the Shelf Life of Bread

Antifungal activity by vapor contact of essential oils added to amaranth, chitosan, or starch edible films

خواص مکانیکی خمیر نقش مهمی در صنایع پخت ایفا می‌کنند و در مواردی از قبیل تثبیت افزودنی‌ها و مطالعه تاثیر آنها بر سایر خواص خمیر و نان می‌توانند مورد توجه واقع شوند. در این پژوهش، از روش‌های چندمتغیره متقارن (تعیین ضرایب همبستگی و آنالیز مولفه‌های اصلی) و نامتقارن (سطح پاسخ و رگرسیون حداقل مربعات جزئی) به‌منظور مطالعه تاثیر اجزاء ژل بهبوددهنده بر خواص مکانیکی خمیر نان بربری، ارتباط خواص مکانیکی خمیر با سایر خواص خمیر و نان و نیز بهینه‌سازی فرمول ژل استفاده گردید. نمونه‌های ژل بهبوددهنده، محتوی 0 تا g100/g 5/0 سدیم استئاروئیل لاکتیلات، داتم و پروپیلن گلیکول بودند. نتایج نشان داد که با توجه به تغییر مقدار و نوع اجزاء فرمولاسیون ژل، دامنه وسیعی از تغییرات در خواص مکانیکی خمیر ایجاد می‌شود و از اختلاط g100/g 5/0 سدیم استئاروئیل لاکتیلات، g100/g 5/0 داتم و g100/g 5/0 پروپیلن گلیکول بهترین حالت حاصل می‌گردد. ضرایب همبستگی بین خواص مکانیکی خمیر با خصوصیات فارینوگرافی خمیر، کیفیت، جنبه‌های حسی، پردازش تصویر و ماندگاری نان بررسی گردید. همچنین آنالیز مولفه‌های اصلی ثابت نمود که قادر به استخراج اطلاعات مناسبی است و می‌تواند به‌عنوان یک روش آسان برای تحلیل و تفسیر خواص مکانیکی خمیر و ارتباط آنها با سایر خواص خمیر و نان مورد استفاده قرار گیرد. مدل‌های رگرسیونی حداقل مربعات جزئی نیز برای تعیین ارتباط بین خصوصیات مکانیکی خمیر با خصوصیات فارینوگرافی خمیر، خصوصیات کیفی، حسی، پردازش تصویر و ماندگاری نان به‌کار برده شد. نتایج حاصل از آنالیزهای آماری نشان داد که خصوصیات مکانیکی خمیر، قادر به پیشگویی حداقل 50% از خصوصیات خمیر و نان هستند.

ABSTRACT- Considering health and economic issues, today, consumers have become more concerned with foods which contain natural ingredients. Hence, in this study, the effects of plum concentrate and puree which were incorporated into the Taftoon bread formulation at different levels on the rheological, baking properties and shelf life of bread were evaluated. Results showed that addition of plum concentrate and puree improved the quality and shelf life of Taftoon bread. Plum puree was effective in improving dough development time, mixing tolerance index and dough softening while concentrate affected stability and water absorption. Bread containing 4% plums puree had the lowest hardness compared with other samples. Image processing analyses showed that both concentrate and puree improved browning in Taftoon bread. Therefore, plum concentrate and puree can be used as a humectant to improve the quality and shelf life of Taftoon bread.

Bovine mastitis, predominantly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, represents a critical issue in the dairy industry due to its impact on milk production and the growing concern aboutantimicrobial resistance. Essential oils can be a novel alternative for treatment againstantibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens, and it is essential to test their activity against mastitis-associated wild bacteria from specific regions, mainly when information is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of tea tree, rosemary, and cinnamon oilsagainst seven Staphylococcus strains isolated from cases of bovine mastitis from NorthwestMexico. Different tea tree, rosemary, and cinnamon essential oil concentrations were testedusing the agar diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration were determined. Cinnamon essential oil showed the bestantibacterial activity, followed by rosemary and tea tree oils. A lower minimum inhibitoryconcentration (0.312 mg/mL) and minimum bactericidal concentration (0.625 mg/mL) of cinnamon essential oil than those of tea tree and rosemary were estimated, from which doubleconcentrations to achieve the same effect were required. A lower concentration of cinnamonessential oil was required to obtain a value of 0 log CFU/mL compared with rosemary and teatree oils. These findings emphasize the importance of exploring natural products like essentialoils for managing bovine mastitis and reducing reliance on conventional antibiotics. Cite this article as: López-Mata, M. A., Valenzuela-Sánchez, J. F., González-González, J. N., Morales-Figueroa, G. G., Lizardi-Mendoza, J., Pérez-Morales, R., Guerrero-Encinas, I., &Quihui-Cota, L. (2025). Cinnamon, tea tree, and rosemary essential oils against wildStaphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bovine mastitis in northwest Mexico. ActaVeterinaria Eurasia, 2025, 51, 0013, doi:10.5152/actavet.2025.25013.

Bovine mastitis, predominantly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, represents a critical issue in the dairy industry due to its impact on milk production and the growing concern aboutantimicrobial resistance. Essential oils can be a novel alternative for treatment againstantibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens, and it is essential to test their activity against mastitis-associated wild bacteria from specific regions, mainly when information is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of tea tree, rosemary, and cinnamon oilsagainst seven Staphylococcus strains isolated from cases of bovine mastitis from NorthwestMexico. Different tea tree, rosemary, and cinnamon essential oil concentrations were testedusing the agar diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration were determined. Cinnamon essential oil showed the bestantibacterial activity, followed by rosemary and tea tree oils. A lower minimum inhibitoryconcentration (0.312 mg/mL) and minimum bactericidal concentration (0.625 mg/mL) of cinnamon essential oil than those of tea tree and rosemary were estimated, from which doubleconcentrations to achieve the same effect were required. A lower concentration of cinnamonessential oil was required to obtain a value of 0 log CFU/mL compared with rosemary and teatree oils. These findings emphasize the importance of exploring natural products like essentialoils for managing bovine mastitis and reducing reliance on conventional antibiotics. Cite this article as: López-Mata, M. A., Valenzuela-Sánchez, J. F., González-González, J. N., Morales-Figueroa, G. G., Lizardi-Mendoza, J., Pérez-Morales, R., Guerrero-Encinas, I., &Quihui-Cota, L. (2025). Cinnamon, tea tree, and rosemary essential oils against wildStaphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bovine mastitis in northwest Mexico. ActaVeterinaria Eurasia, 2025, 51, 0013, doi:10.5152/actavet.2025.25013.

This study aimed to determine the effects of carbon dioxide concentration in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the quality criteria and shelf life of whole wheat flour bread. Four different concentrations of CO2 and N2 gases (30% CO2 + 70% N2, 50% CO2 + 50% N2, 70% CO2:30% N2 and 100% CO2) were applied to the bread samples, which were packaged with PA/EVOH/LDPE (polyamide/ethylene vinyl alcohol/low‐density polyethylene). The samples were stored at room temperature (25°C ± 1°C) for 13 days. The control group was packaged using BOPP (bi‐oriented polypropylene) under atmospheric air as in traditional current use. The effects of MAP on headspace gas analysis, pH, moisture content, water activity, water‐holding capacity, blue value, hardness, total mould and yeast count and sensory evaluation were analysed on days 0, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 13. The results showed that the most effective gas combination in extending the shelf life of whole wheat bread was 100% CO2, and its shelf life was 10 days, whereas it was only 3 days for the control group. Increasing concentrations of CO2 significantly affected mould and yeast growth. As the CO2 concentration increased, the bread exhibited higher water‐holding capacity and blue values, which are important indicators for bread staling. An improved preservation of sensory properties was observed in proportion to increasing CO2 concentrations. However, the CO2 gas concentration did not affect the hardness of the bread. Overall, the study suggests that MAP technology, particularly using 100% CO2, can effectively extend the shelf life of whole wheat flour bread without the need for preservatives, not only extending the microbiological shelf life but also increasing the sensory shelf life. The species that grew in air‐packaged samples were suppressed under modified atmosphere conditions and chalk mould fungi were the dominant and shelf life‐impacting species in the MAP samples. These findings could be beneficial in reducing bread wastage, which is a critical issue in today's society due to the limited shelf life of bread caused by rapid microbiological deterioration or staling.

In recent days, there has been a general increase in the number of consumers who reject all synthetic additives in food; however research has revealed many novel applications for plum and raisin products as functional natural bakery ingredients. Raisin and prune concentrate and commercial sorbitol were incorporated into the Barbari bread formulation at different levels and their effects on the rheological, baking properties and shelf life of breads were evaluated. Supplemented dough absorbed more water than control. The presence of sorbitol, raisin and prune concentrate slightly increased dough development time. Firmness of breads decreased about the 15% for bread containing 4% raisin concentrate and 40% for bread containing 4% prune concentrate, and 40% for 1% sorbitol. Addition of raisin and prune concentrate showed more reduction in water activity in compare with control. Breads containing raisin concentrate, prune concentrate were sensory rated higher than those with sorbitol and control. Results showed that, raisin and prune concentrate could be used as a natural ingredient to prolong the shelf life and improve baking quality of Barbari bread.

Pane Toscano DOP, a traditional sourdough bread from Italy, has a limited shelf life, typically lasting only a few days. Extending its shelf life without the use of synthetic preservatives is essential to meet the rising demand for clean-label products and to reduce food waste. This study aimed to identify the most effective packaging strategy to extend the shelf life of Pane Toscano DOP. Two packaging systems were evaluated: single-package and bag-in-bag systems. In the single-package setup, bread was packaged in PET/PE under different headspace conditions: ambient air (C1), air + Everfresh® Spray (EVF, a natural aromatic extract) (C2), CO2 only (C3), and CO2 + EVF (C4). In the bag-in-bag system, bread was first placed in a PLA primary package containing air and then enclosed within a PET/PE secondary package filled with either air (T1), air + EVF (T2), CO2 only (T3), or CO2 + EVF (T4). Shelf life of bread under different packaging conditions was evaluated based on the appearance of visible mold growth. T4 exhibited the longest shelf life, maintaining acceptable quality for 41 days, followed by T3 with 34 days. Air packaged samples C1 and T1 had the shortest shelf life of only 6 days, while C2, T2, and C3 each maintained quality for 20 days. These findings demonstrate that the use of modified atmosphere packaging, bag-in-bag systems, and aromatic headspace extracts can significantly extend the shelf life of artisanal breads, such as Pane Toscano DOP. This approach offers viable alternatives to synthetic preservatives while maintaining traditional product formulations.

Simple SummaryThe current study aimed to investigate the effects of a housing system, and dietary supplementation of rosemary and cinnamon essential oils on layers performance and egg quality. A factorial arrangement (2 × 3) was performed including two housing systems (floor and cage) and three different types of essential oils (0, 300 mg/kg diet of rosemary and 300 mg/kg diet of cinnamon essential oils) to study their effects on the productive performance, egg quality, immunity, oxidative stress and haematology of laying hens during the production stages. The data suggested that the supplementation of rosemary and cinnamon essential oils in laying hen diet showed significant positive effects on hen performance and egg production. Additionally, the different housing systems did not result in any positive or negative impact on these traits.Housing system and nutrition are non-genetic factors that can improve the well-being of animals to obtain higher quality products. A better understanding of how different housing systems and essential oils can influence the performance of layers is very important at the research and commercial levels. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of a housing system and dietary supplementation of rosemary and cinnamon essential oils on layers’ performance and egg quality. A factorial arrangement (2 × 3) was performed include two housing systems (floor and cage) and three different types of essential oils (0, 300 mg/kg diet of rosemary and 300 mg/kg diet of cinnamon essential oils) to study their effects on the productive performance, egg quality, immunity, oxidative stress and haematology of ISA brown laying hens during the production stages (from 28 to 76 weeks of age). Birds were randomly divided into two groups each comprising of 1500 birds; the first group was moved from the litter to reared laying cages while the second group was floor reared. Each group was randomly divided into three groups, the first was considered as a control group, the second treated with rosemary essential oil, and the third with cinnamon essential oil. The differences in egg production and weight, egg quality, feed intake and conversion, blood picture and chemistry, immunity, and antioxidant parameters between the different housing systems (floor and cage) were not significant at (p < 0.05 or 0.01). On the other hand, the egg production and weight, Haugh unit, feed intake and conversion, blood cholesterol, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), urea, Ca, P, immunity, and antioxidant parameters were significantly (p < 0.05 or 0.01) better in rosemary and cinnamon groups than in the control group. Furthermore, the results of dietary supplementation with rosemary and cinnamon were very close. Regarding egg production and weight, there were no significant differences due to the interactions. The differences in egg mass among the interactions were also not significant except at 68–76 weeks, where the cage × cinnamon group was the highest. Under the floor rearing system, birds that were fed a diet supplemented with or without essential oils (EOs) consumed more feed than those raised under the cage system. Regarding feed conversion rate (FCR), the differences among the interactions were not significant except at 44–52, 52–60 and 68–76 weeks, where the cage × cinnamon group was the lowest. Excluding glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity (p < 0.001), all immunity and antioxidant indices were not statistically different as a consequence of the interaction among EOs and housing systems. Additionally, the highest levels of phosphorus were observed for layers fed diets enriched with cinnamon oil with the cage or floor system. In conclusion, the data suggested that supplementation of rosemary and cinnamon essential oils in laying hen diet showed significantly positive effects on hen performance and egg production. Cholesterol, liver and kidney functions, immunity, and antioxidant parameters improved with rosemary and cinnamon supplementation when compared to the control. Additionally, the different housing systems did not result in any positive or negative impact on these traits.

The objective of this study was to improve the shelf life and nutrition quality of bread by combination of part‐baked frozen technology and white wheat flour replacement with 0, 10, 20 and 30% (w/w) of whole oat flour (WOF). Part‐baked breads were produced at 200C for 7 min followed by freezing at −18C for 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days and re‐baking at 230C for 8.5 min. Increasing the level of WOF enhanced water absorption, dough development time and dough softening while reduced dough stability time. Peak viscosity, trough and final viscosities reduced while pasting temperature increased. Baking weight loss increased with frozen storage time but reduced with addition of WOF. Frozen storage time and flour replacement enhanced bread density and firmness. Inclusion of maximum 10% WOF resulted in bread with similar sensory properties to those of control with a minimum shelf life of 28 days at −18C.Practical ApplicationsOat grains are well known for their health benefits and have been used in bread and other foods to improve their nutritional value. Oat bread has been produced already by conventional methods, while there is little information to show the possibility of production of oat bread using part‐baked frozen breads technology. This technology has a growing market as it can enhance the quality and shelf life of the bread. The results of this research indicated that replacement of maximum 10% wheat flour with whole oat flour can result in satisfactory part‐baked bread with frozen shelf life of 28 days. This study can provide further information on application of whole oat flour as an excellent source of dietary fiber (mainly β‐glucan) and bioactive compounds with health benefits in bread production industry in order to respond to the increasing demand for a wider variety of healthy breads with longer shelf life.

Endometritis is a condition marked by inflammation of the endometrium that affects dairy cows from 21 days after parturition, causing damage to herd fertility and economic losses on farms. The use of active compounds obtained from plant sources has gained importance as disease treatment agents in farm animals due to the high resistance rates currently observed against traditional antibiotics commonly used. The study was carried out to examine the chemical composition and to investigate the antibacterial activity of rosemary, cinnamon, cloves, eucalyptus, lemon, oregano and thyme essential oils against the reference strain of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Fusobacterium necrophorum (ATCC 25286), Trueperella pyogenes (ATCC 19411) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), considered as typical bacteria causing endometritis. The chemical composition of the seven essential oils were analyzed by GC-MS and their antibacterial activity was evaluated by the disc diffusion method. Thirty-six components were identified in total using GC-MS analyzes. The main compounds were cinnamaldehyde (86.5% for cinnamon essential oil), eugenol (85.7% for clove essential oil), 1,8-cineol (80% for eucalyptus and 47.8% rosemary essential oils), limonene (65.5% for lemon essential oil), carvacrol (72.1% for oregano essential oil) and thymol (48.8% for thyme essential oil). The disc diffusion assay revealed that cinnamon, clove, oregano, and thyme essential oils showed the best results compared to the other three essential oils, showing the largest zone of inhibition against all bacteria evaluated. These findings indicated that essential oils are a potential agent to be used as an alternative for bovine endometritis treatment.

1. This study was conducted to determine the effects of volatile oil mixture on quail laying performance, egg traits and egg malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration.2. A total of 260 Pharaoh quails (Coturnix coturnix Pharaoh) aged 6 weeks were equally divided into 5 groups of 65 (4 replicates of 13 quails each). The mixture of diets was as follows: a control treatment with 0 mg volatile oil/kg of diet; (1) 200 mg/kg rosemary volatile oil; (2) 200 mg/kg oregano volatile oil; (3) 40 mg/kg rosemary volatile oil plus 160 mg/kg oregano volatile oil (ratio 20:80) and (4) 160 mg/kg rosemary volatile oil plus 40 mg/kg oregano volatile oil (ratio 80:20). The diets were prepared fresh for each treatment. The experimental period lasted 10 weeks.3. At the end of the experiment, there were no significant differences amongst the groups in body weight, egg weight, egg mass, egg shape index, Haugh unit, egg shell thickness or egg shell–breaking strength.4. Diets containing rosemary volatile oil increased the egg production significantly. Feed intake significantly increased in the groups containing volatile oil mixture (groups 4 and 5). The inclusion of rosemary volatile oil at 200 mg/kg improved feed efficiency.5. Egg albumen and egg yolk index values showed significant increases in the group given diets containing rosemary volatile oil. Egg yolk colour became darker with the addition of rosemary and oregano volatile oil. The treatment group had lower egg yolk MDA concentration than the control group.6. It is concluded that, alone or in combination, rosemary and oregano volatile oil can be used in quail diets without adverse effects on the measured parameters. Inclusion of rosemary and oregano volatile oil in quail diets enhanced the antioxidant status of eggs.

Packaging of foods by using edible antimicrobial films (EAF) incorporated with essential oils is able to reduce the spoilage of food due to surface contamination. Essential oils are highly volatile and have strong aromas that can affect their function and consumer acceptance. This paper discussed the effect of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) concentrations on the antimicrobial activity and sensory acceptability of EAF produced from seaweed through a casting method. The CEO was added into the formulations at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 g/kg levels. The EAF showed antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms with the highest antimicrobial activity at the concentration of 40 g/kg CEO. However, based on the results obtained from a sensory evaluation using a 7-points hedonic scale, the overall acceptability was 3.23 which was lower than the minimum acceptability score of 4. Hence, the highest acceptable level of CEO in the EAF was 30 g/ kg. It is recommended that the CEO of 30 g/kg could be incorporated into edible film and act as an alternative method to extend the shelf life of packaged foods.

Tomato is perishable and requires preservation to extend its shelf life. In this study, we conducted selection processes to identify essential oils that can help to avoid spoilage and deterioration during tomato storage and extend the shelf life. Thereafter, we determined the phosphatase activity assay, potassium ion concentration, and electron microscopy to study the antibacterial mechanism of essential oil. We found that Enterobacter ludwigii W01 was the dominant spoilage bacterium in tomatoes with cracked and curled skin. We selected oregano essential oil from 12 essential oils (oregano essential oil, lemon essential oil, osmanthus essential oil, cypress wood essential oil, tea tree essential oil, licorice essential oil, Baili essential oil, white camphor essential oil, Shancang seed essential oil, rosemary essential oil, rose essential oil, and cinnamon essential oil) which could significantly inhibit the activity of E. ludwigii W01. However, the diameter of the inhibition zone for Wh, Te, Cy, Li, Rm, Le, and Os is 0 mm, the diameter of the inhibition zone for Ba, Sh, and Ro was less than 1.0 mm, whereas the diameter of the inhibition zone for Ci and Or was greater than 2.0 mm. The diameter of the suppression circle for Ci and Or was greater than 2.0 mm, while Ci was lesser than Or. Oregano essential oil can damage the cell wall of E. ludwigii W01, leading to the leakage of the alkaline phosphatase stored between the cell wall and the cell membrane which can increase the alkaline phosphatase activity in the bacterial solution. Meanwhile, the addition of oregano essential oil significantly altered the cellular morphology of E. ludwigii W01. Spraying the surface of fresh tomato fruits with 1 MIC (0.125%) of oregano essential oil prolonged the storage time to 15 days, without significant changes in its sensory attributes. Those results indicated that oregano essential oil was a potential preservative for tomatoes.

Bread dough is usually fermented with yeast but in the present study sourdough lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus) alone and in combination with yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were used to determine their effect on the shelf life and sensory characteristics of bread at different intervals of storage. Lactic acid bacteria improved the sensory characteristics of bread such as volume, evenness of bake, character of crust, grain of bread, colour of bread crumb, aroma, taste and texture of bread and extended shelf life of bread by inhibiting the growth of microbes.