Exploring the potential of 1,8-cineole from cardamom oil against food-borne pathogens: Antibacterial mechanisms and its application in meat preservation

Abstract

Food-borne pathogenic bacteria are a major public health concern globally. Traditional control methods using antibiotics have limitations, leading to the exploration of alternative strategies. Essential oils such as cardamom possess antimicrobial properties and have shown efficacy against food-borne pathogenic bacteria. The utilization of essential oils and their bioactive constituents in food preservation is a viable strategy to prolong the shelf-life of food products while ensuring their quality and safety. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies that have utilized 1,8-cineole (the main active constituent of cardamom essential oil) as a preservative in meat, so this study might be the first to utilize 1,8-cineole as an antibacterial agent in meat preservation. The application of 1,8-cineole had a significant suppressive impact on the growth rate of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella Typhimurium in meat samples stored for 7 days at 4 °C. Additionally, the surface color of the meat samples was not negatively impacted by the application of 1,8-cineole. The minimum inhibitory concentration was 12.5–25 mg/ml, and the minimum bactericidal concentration was 25–50.0 mg/ml. The bacterial cell membrane may be the target of cardamom, causing leakage of intracellular proteins, ATP, and DNA. The obtained data in this study may pave a new avenue for using 1,8-cineole as a new perspective for dealing with this problem of food-borne pathogens and food preservation, such as meat.