Abstract
Resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics has increased. The use of natural components with antimicrobial properties can be of great significance to reduce this problem. The presented work is focused on the study of the effect of encapsulation of selected plant and animal antimicrobial substances (herbs, spices, lysozyme and nisin) on their activity and stability. Antimicrobial components were packaged into liposomes and polysaccharide particles (alginate, chitosan and starch). Antimicrobial activity was tested against two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Micrococcus luteus) and two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens) bacteria. Encapsulation was successful in all types of polysaccharide particles and liposomes. The prepared particles exhibited very good long-term stability, especially in aqueous conditions. Antimicrobial activity was retained in all types of particles. Liposomes with encapsulated herb and spice extracts exhibited very good inhibitory effect against all tested bacterial strains. Most of herbal extracts had very good antimicrobial effect against the tested Gram-negative bacterial strains, while Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to lysozyme particles. Thus, particles with co-encapsulated herbs and lysozyme are more active against different types of bacteria, and more stable and more effective during long-term storage. Particles with encapsulated mixture of selected plant extracts and lysozyme could be used as complex antimicrobial preparation with controlled release in the production of food and food supplements, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
Highlights
The last decade has been characterized by a growing interest in natural antioxidants
Antimicrobial components were packaged into liposome and polysaccharide particles
Encapsulation efficiency of herbal extracts depended on the particle material and extract composition, while encapsulation efficiency of lysozyme was relatively good in all particles
Summary
The last decade has been characterized by a growing interest in natural antioxidants. Natural herbal sources contain a diverse array of compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, vitamins and terpenoids that account for their biological properties. Their antioxidant and antimicrobial abilities and health-promoting properties are mainly attributed to phenolic compounds [1,2]. Several thousand plant polyphenols are known, encompassing a wide variety of molecules that contain at least one aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl groups in addition to other substituents. They have antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects [3]. The plant polyphenols represent a source of anti-infective agents against antibiotic-resistant pathogens [3,4]
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