Abstract
In this study, the application of eucalyptus essential oil/vapour as beverages preservative is reported. The chemical composition of eucalyptus oil was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and solid phase microextraction GC-MS (SPME/GC-MS) analyses. GC-MS revealed that the major constituents were 1,8-cineole (80.5%), limonene (6.5%), α-pinene (5%), and γ-terpinene (2.9%) while SPME/GC-MS showed a relative reduction of 1,8-cineole (63.9%) and an increase of limonene (13.8%), α-pinene (8.87%), and γ-terpinene (3.98%). Antimicrobial potential of essential oil was initially determined in vitro against 8 different food spoilage yeasts by disc diffusion, disc volatilization, and microdilution method. The activity of eucalyptus vapours was significantly higher than the eucalyptus oil. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) varied from 0.56 to 4.50 mg/mL and from 1.13 to 9 mg/mL, respectively. Subsequently, the combined efficacy of essential oil and thermal treatment were used to evaluate the preservation of a mixed fruit juice in a time-dependent manner. These results suggest eucalyptus oil as a potent inhibitor of food spoilage yeasts not only in vitro but also in a real food system. Currently, this is the first report that uses eucalyptus essential oil for fruit juice preservation against food spoiling yeast.
Highlights
Eucalyptus is an evergreen, tall tree, or shrub, belonging to Myrtaceae family
The chemical composition of eucalyptus oil was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and solid phase microextraction GC-MS (SPME/GC-MS) analyses
The results of this work demonstrated that eucalyptus essential oil could be used as a potential antimicrobial compound against food spoilage yeasts
Summary
Eucalyptus is an evergreen, tall tree, or shrub, belonging to Myrtaceae family. it is native to Australia and Tasmania, nowadays it has extensively spread to other countries [1]. The genus Eucalyptus contains about 700 species; among them, more than 300 contain volatile oils in their leaves. Essential oils of various eucalyptus species are used in the pharmaceutical, toiletries, cosmetics, and food industries [1]. These broad applications are due to the antiseptic, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, flavouring, and antioxidant properties of the molecules present in the oil [2]. The antimicrobial activity of eucalyptus oils has been found to vary significantly within microbial species and within microbial strains. According to one of the reports, Eucalyptus odorata had the strongest activity against bacteria and yeasts while E. bicostata had the best antiviral activity [3]. Several studies about eucalyptus oils have been published [5,6,7], only few of them evaluated their activity
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
