The inhibitory effect of the essential oils from basil (Ocimum basilicum) and sage (Salvia officinalis) in broth and in model food system

Abstract

Publisher Summary Food preservation has become a complex problem. New food products are frequently being introduced onto the market. The search for new substances to be used in food preservation is hampered by regulatory restrictions. Consequently, a great deal of time and money may well be required to develop a new chemical preservative. Such obstacles provide new opportunities for those seeking alternative routes in the search for new food preservatives. The excessive use of chemical preservatives, many of which are suspect because of their potential carcinogenic and teratogenic attributes or residual toxicity, has resulted in increasing pressure on food manufacturers to either completely remove chemical preservatives from their food products or to adopt more “natural” alternatives for the maintenance or extension of a product's self life. There is considerable interest in the possible use of the latter as alternative food additives either to prevent the growth of foodborne pathogens or to delay the onset of food spoilage. For this reason, the effect of naturally-occurring compounds, from basil and sage, on Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria have been considered in the chapter. The chapter focuses on the antimicrobial effect of naturally occurring essential from sage and basil on food spoilage and foodborne bacteria in broths and the interactive effect between inoculum size, glucose, and the concentration of essential oil, and examines the effect of these essential oils (basil and sage) on various bacteria in Model Food Systems.