Litsea Cubeba Oil Research Articles

Study on antifungal properties of modified chitosan combined with essential oil and its application in preserving fruits

The presence of chemical pesticides has an impact on human health and there is an urgent need for the development of green antifungal alternatives. This study investigated the freshness application of dehydroabietic acid-modified chitosan product (CSDA) mixed with three essential oil (litsea cubeba oil (LCO), wintergreen essential oil (WEO), cinnamon essential oil (CEO)). The antifungal activity of modified chitosan/essential oils was tested by the punching method and the antifungal mechanism was investigated by the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results showed that fungal inhibition rate of CSDA-WEO on Penicillium digitatum reached 100% at a concentration of 0.05 μL/mL and on Penicillium italicum reached 100% at a concentration of 1 μL/mL. Both molds were not well inhibited by CSDA-LCO and CSDA-CEO. CSDA-WEO was able to affect the cell walls and energy metabolism of the molds, resulting in nutrient loss and death. Fruits were preserved with 0.1 mg/g CSDA and 1 μL/mL WEO. CSDA-WEO maintained the antioxidant activity of citrus, inhibited respiration and water loss, and extended shelf life up to 24 days. CSDA-WEO extended the shelf life of longan to 18 days and kiwi slices to 6 days. CSDA-WEO is expected to serve as an alternative to chemical fungicides and shows promise as a broad-spectrum fruit and vegetable preservative.

Effect of Litsea cubeba and Cinnamon Essential Oil Nanoemulsion Coatings on the Preservation of Plant-Based Meat Analogs.

Plant-based meat analogs (PBMAs) are promising sustainable food sources. However, their high moisture and protein contents make them prone to microbial deterioration, limiting their shelf life and sensory appeal. This study explored enhancing PBMAs' shelf life using nanoemulsions of Litsea cubeba and cinnamon essential oils, emulsified with chitosan and Tween 80. The composite nanoemulsion, produced through high-pressure homogenization, exhibited a droplet size of 4.99 ± 0.03 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.221 ± 0.008, and a zeta potential of 95.13 ± 2.67 mV, indicating remarkable stability (p < 0.05). Applied to PBMAs stored at 4 °C, it significantly improved color and pH balance and reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and cooking loss. Most notably, it inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, curbing spoilage and protein oxidation, thereby extending the products' shelf life and preserving sensory quality. As shown above, the encapsulation of LCEO/CEO in nanoemulsions effectively inhibits spoilage and deterioration in PBMAs, improving flavor and quality more than direct addition. Future studies should explore using various essential oils and emulsifiers, as well as alternative encapsulation techniques like microcapsules and nanoparticles, to further prevent PBMA deterioration.

Formulating Sustainable Emulsions: Mandelic Acid and Essential Oils as Natural Preservatives.

Emulsion products with natural antimicrobials are becoming increasingly popular for topical application. Mandelic Acid is interesting in cosmetics due to its potent exfoliating properties, which have driven advancements in skincare technologies. Essential oils have various properties, of which the most useful in cosmetics are those that do not cause irritation, smell pleasant, and have other beneficial properties such as antimicrobial effects. Emulsions with Mandelic Acid and essential oils from Satureja montana, Lemongrass, and Litsea cubeba were formulated and microbiologically tested for their preservative effectiveness. The effect of the treatments on skin condition was monitored by non-invasive diagnostic methods, such as hydration, transepidermal water loss, and pH value. Sensory analysis revealed that the matrix containing Mandelic Acid alone or combined with Litsea Cubeba Oil was the best-performing formulation, consistent with the compliant results of antimicrobial efficacy. The topical form of this cosmetic product has demonstrated excellent preservative activity and desirable biophysical efficacy on the skin.

CONTROLLED RELEASE OF ESSENTIAL OILS FROM MICROCAPSULES BASED ON GUM ARABIC AND CHITOSAN PREPARED BY COMPLEX COACERVATION AS MOSQUITO REPELLENT AND ANTIMICROBIAL MATERIAL

Microcapsules loaded with essential oils, namely Litsea cubeba, Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon citratus, in gum arabic and chitosan were prepared to explore their mosquito repelling effects and their antimicrobial function. The encapsulation ratio, along with the materials characterization and release behavior of the essential oils from the microcapsules were studied, together with temperature and time dependences. Mosquito repellency was assessed against Ae. aegypti using the “arm-in-cage” method, and the antibacterial activity was tested against E. coli and S. aureus. The results demonstrated that microcapsules loaded with essential oils were successfully prepared for all three essential oils. Also, the results showed that the highest encapsulation ratio was found for microcapsules loaded with Cymbopogon citratus oil. The microcapsules loaded with all essential oils were effective in prolonging protection time against Ae. aegypti, especially in the case of the Litsea cubeba oil, while the Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon citratus oils yielded the highest antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus.

Improvement of flavor and gel properties of silver carp surimi product by Litsea cubeba oil high internal phase emulsions

In this study, high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) using casein as stabilizer and soybean oil and Litsea cubeba oil (LCO) as internal phase were prepared and added into silver carp surimi. The effects of LCO-HIPEs on the gel and flavor properties of surimi product were studied. After chopping, heating and storing, LCO-HIPEs showed emulsion droplets with particle size of 11 μm and remained solid structure. Compared with Oil-added surimi gels, HIPEs-added groups exhibited higher gel strength, water holding capacity and whiteness. Low-field NMR analysis revealed that HIPEs-added gels had higher proportion of bound water and immobilized water. Microstructure observation showed that LCO-HIPEs emulsion droplets in gel were smaller and evenly distributed. Moreover, SDS-PAGE showed that myosin heavy chain band in HIPEs-added gel were more attenuated than that of their Oil-added counterparts after 40 °C or 90 °C heating. HIPEs-added groups also showed higher amount of volatile compounds but lower thiobarbituric acid reaction substances value than Oil-added ones. Thus, LCO-HIPEs could be applied in surimi products to fortify flavor feature and provide fairly good gel properties and lipid oxidation stability.

The freeze-thaw stability of flavor high internal phase emulsion and its application to flavor preservation and 3D printing.

Volatilization of flavor substances may reduce consumers' perception of flavor, and the research on preservation of flavor substances by high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) under freeze-thaw conditions is still blank. Herein, flavor HIPEs prepared by adding more than 15% litsea cubeba oil in the oil phase could be used as food-grade 3D printing inks, and showed better stability after 5 freeze-thaw cycles, which could be interpreted as the reduced ice crystal formation, more stable interface layer, and more flexible gel-like network structure resulting from the protein binding to flavor substances. The constructed HIPEs system in this study could preserve the encapsulated flavor substances perfectly after 5 freeze-thaw cycles. Overall, this study contributes a food-grade 3D printing ink, and provides a new method for the preservation of flavor substances under freezing conditions and expands the application range of flavor HIPEs in food industry.

Controlled release of Litsea cubeba oil from antimicrobial quail egg tray based on water lettuce root and banana stalk to inhibit the growth of pathologic bacteria, and its reusability

The shelf life of a quail egg is usually less than 7 days at a temperature of 30 °C. To improve a quail egg's shelf life, an egg tray should be developed. Active egg tray packaging based on water lettuce root and banana stalk containing Litsea cubeba (LC) was developed, and the effects on the quality of the quail egg, microbial growth, and its reusability stored in the developed tray at 30 °C for 14 days were evaluated. The analysis revealed that the egg tray containing 0.06% LC possessed antibacterial qualities against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus on the quail eggs and could extend their shelf life from between 3 and 5 days to 14 days. The mode of action of the LC vapor released from the plant egg tray over the quail egg areas was found to exhibit antibacterial activity that damaged the cell wall, roughness, and caused disruption of the bacteria cell, according to a scanning electron microscope. Tensile strength, bursting strength, and tear strength of the LC paper egg tray presented good improvements in its physical and mechanical properties and could be reused to pack the quail egg and store it for at least three times (14 days' storage per time) at room temperature. It is useful for the farmer and retailers to handle egg. The customers also are able to inspect the safe and quality eggs when buying.

Improving properties of Litsea cubeba oil Pickering emulsion-loaded gelatin-based bio-nanocomposite film via optimizing blending ratio: Application for mango preservation

To improve the biological and water-barrier properties of gelatin film, we incorporated the red roselle extract (RRE), ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO), and Litsea cubeba oil Pickering emulsion (LCON) into the GE film. The effect of RRE, ZnO, and LOCN on the properties of GE film was assessed using Box–Behnken response surface design (BBD). The BBD results revealed that these compounds greatly affect the properties of the film, especially the contribution of ZnO/LCON on the mechanical and water barrier properties of the film. The optimal antifungal (80.15%), antibacterial (31.24 mm), antioxidant (73.00%), tensile strength (42.03 MPa), elongation at break (25.50%), water vapor permeability (18.01 g mm·m−2·Kpa−1·h−1), and water contact angle (110.2°) of the film were obtained at 1.10% RRE, 1.51% ZnO and 2.38% LCON. The X-ray diffraction pattern and FTIR spectra results indicated the change of molecular interactions and semi-crystalline structure in the film. The scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence image, and energy dispersive X-ray results revealed that the excellent dispersion of RRE, ZnO, and LCON in the GE matrix led to an even and smooth structure in the film. This structure offers a positive effect on improving the mechanical and barrier properties of the film. The colorful patterns were successfully printed on the film to provide essential product information. Due to its excellent biological, mechanical, and barrier properties, the optimized film was applied for mango preservation. The optimized GE/RRE/ZnO/LCON film significantly controlled the postharvest quality and anthracnose in mango. Thus, the GE/RRE/ZnO/LCON film has great potential for mango preservation in active packaging applications.

Comparison of Chemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils from Litsea Cubeba, Cinnamon, Anise, and Eucalyptus.

The purpose of this study was to compare the antioxidant activity of litsea cubeba oil (LCO), cinnamon oil (CO), anise oil (AO), and eucalyptus oil (EUC) in vitro. The chemical compositions of the essential oils (EOs) were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antioxidant activity of the four EOs was evaluated through scavenging DPPH free radicals, chelating Fe2+, scavenging hydroxyl free radicals, and inhibiting yolk lipid peroxidation. The results showed that the major compounds found in LCO, CO, AO, and EUC are citral (64.29%), cinnamaldehyde (84.25%), anethole (78.51%), and 1,8-cineole (81.78%), respectively. The four EOs all had certain antioxidant activity. The ability to scavenge DPPH radical was ranked in the order of LCO > CO > AO > EUC. The hydroxyl radical scavenging ability was ranked in the order of EUC > CO > LCO > AO. The chelating Fe2+ capacity was ranked in the order of EUC > AO > CO > LCO. The yolk lipid peroxidation inhibition ability was ranked in the order of CO > AO > EUC > LCO. In different antioxidant activity assays, the antioxidant activity of the EOs was different. It was speculated that the total antioxidant activity of an EO may be the result of the joint action of different antioxidant capacities.

Effect of combined treatment including Litsea cubeba essential oil and wood smoke on Aspergillus niger development and consumer acceptability of dried catfish (Ariidae)

SummaryDried fish exports generate massive revenue. These exports are in highest demand in the world market. However, dried fish can quickly become spoiled by mould. This creates foul odours that may affect consumer acceptance. Dried fish requires natural antimicrobial agents to improve shelf life. This study aimed to control mould growth and improve the organoleptic properties of dried fish using Litsea cubeba oil vapour in combination with wood smoke. In addition, to understand consumer acceptability, the treated dried fish was used to test consumer brain responses using electroencephalography (EEG). The participants who were able to eat dried fish preferred smoked food and had no history of allergies to dried fish, and essential oils were selected for this test. The combined treatment of the L. cubeba oil vapour at ≥60 μL and smoke for 30 s completely controlled the growth of A. niger at least 6 Log10 CFU g−1 and extended the shelf life of dried fish to 7 days at 30 ± 2 °C compared with the control (3 days). The panellists preferred the dried fish treated with the combined treatment more than the untreated fish (P &lt; 0.05). The consumption (smelling, eating and swallowing) of the treated fish by the participants increased the alpha wave activity in their brains to increase the activation of the neural circuits for attention, working memory, active stage and sensory‐motor integration. These findings can be helpful for smoke‐dried fish product development and dried fish preservation.

Fabrication and characterization of zein-encapsulated Litsea cubeba oil nanoparticles and its effect on the quality of fresh pork

This study aims to fabricate and characterize zein-encapsulated Litsea cubeba oil nanoparticles (NZ/LCO) and evaluate its effect on pork preservation. The formation, morphology, interactions, thermal stability, antibacterial and antioxidant properties and in vitro release of NZ/LCO were investigated. NZ/LCO showed a spherical shape with a smooth outer wall under scanning electron microscope. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that there were hydrogen bonding interactions between Litsea cubeba oil (LCO) and zein. The glass transition temperature of NZ/LCO was higher than that of zein nanoparticles by differential scanning calorimetry. Encapsulation of LCO in zein improved antibacterial and antioxidant activities of LCO. The antibacterial effect of NZ/LCO against Staphylococcus aureus was stronger than that against Escherichia coli. NZ/LCO exhibited sustained and pH-dependent release of LCO in vitro, and the release was faster in pH 4.5 buffer than in pH 7 buffer. When the ratio of zein to LCO was 1:0.5, the particle size and polydispersity index of NZ/LCO were 128.3 nm and 0.148, respectively, and its performance was the best. Compared with the coating containing free LCO, the coating containing NZ/LCO had better preservation effect on pork because it better delayed the changes in color, pH and texture of pork, and inhibited lipid oxidation and microbial growth more effectively. The findings suggest that NZ/LCO has a high potential for pork preservation.

In situ conservation efforts of kilemo (Litsea cubeba L. Persoon) in Dieng Plateau

Kilemo (Litsea cubeba L. Persoon) is an endemic species in Indonesia, spread in the mountains of Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan. This species is classified as a Non Timber Forest Product because it produces essential oils from several parts of the tree, such as leaves, fruits, flowers and bark. They were generally used as traditional medicine, perfume and organic pesticides. Essential oil of kilemo is traded under the name Litsea cubeba oil or Maychang oil. Unfortunately, the raw material for Maychang oil has been obtained from natural forests, not from cultivation. Continuous exploitation without cultivation efforts will threaten the existence of this endemic species. In the past, kilemo was one of the endemic plants in the Dieng Plateau, but now it isn’t easy to find the existence of kilemo. The study aimed to determine the growth of kilemo planted under Eucalyptus stands at three different spacings in a protected forest area at Dieng RPH, Wonosobo. The design used was Block Random Design with five replications. Each replication consisted of 20 plants. The seeds come from Ciwidey, Bandung, West Java. The results showed that one-year-old kilemo planted at a spacing of 5 x 5 m showed the best growth with an average height of 118.66 m, diameter 9.49 mm and 69% survival rate.

Effects of bamboo sachets containing Litsea cubeba oil on the prevention of mold for extending the shelf life of dried fish, its reusability, and action mechanisms

This work aimed to study the effects of bamboo sachets (BS) containing Litsea cubeba (LC) oil emulsion (0% control, 0.3%, 0.5% and 0.7% w w−1) on preventing the growth of Aspergillus flavus and extending the shelf life of dried mackerel scad during storage in a 1 L kraft paper box kept at 30 ± 2 °C. The study also investigated the reuse of the BS up to four times (the storage period of 14 days each time). The results indicate that BS and LC oil at 0.5% w w−1, when reused up to three times, could completely inhibit A. flavus on dried fish and extend its shelf life to 14 days compared to three days for untreated fish (control). The quality (colour, pH, aw and texture) of the treated and untreated fish was not significantly different during the entire storage period. Citral is the main component that contributes to antifungal activities. The lack of spore germination, the deformation of hyphae and conidiophores, the rupture of membrane integrity and loss of cytoplasmic content inhibits mold growth. BS and LC oil could prolong the shelf life and quality of dried fish and be thus acceptable to consumers.

Natural cellulosic material characteristics: A possibility to develop antimicrobial active fiber-based packaging

Coconut husk, rubberwood sawdust, and palm leaf base are cellulosic agricultural wastes that have potential to be processed to fiber as absorbing material. This study investigated characteristics (morphological, physiological properties, chemical composition, absorption capacity, and water absorption isotherms) of coconut, rubberwood, and palm fiber. Also, the study aimed to develop an antimicrobial sachet packaging to resist against foodborne pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli) by adding lime oil (LO) emulsion or Litsea cubeba (LC) oil at 50 to 700 µL into the material (1 g) before, and then dried and placed in the 1-L seal box. Results showed that among the three, coconut performed the best in terms of releasing the essential oil (EO) emulsion against bacteria. Coconut could adsorb and release volatile LO or LC at the lowest concentrations (LO, 500 µL/L; LC, 300 µL/L) to inhibit bacteria compared with the other fibers (700 µL/L) at 35 °C. Results indicated that coconut has a low water absorption rate, which influenced the faster adsorption of EO emulsion in the beginning of the process; therefore, using low concentrations of EO in coconut for bacterial inhibition is possible. Coconut contains 34.5% lignin, 68.7% holocellulose, 37.6% cellulose, and 31.2% hemicellulose. Coconut is suitable as an alternative to the biocomposite material in developing a new antimicrobial packaging design.

Effects of Thai Local Ingredient Odorants, Litsea cubeba and Garlic Essential Oils, on Brainwaves and Moods.

The functional food market is growing with a compound annual growth rate of 7.9%. Thai food recipes use several kinds of herbs. Lemongrass, garlic, and turmeric are ingredients used in Thai curry paste. Essential oils released in the preparation step create the flavor and fragrance of the famous tom yum and massaman dishes. While the biological activities of these ingredients have been investigated, including the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the responses to the essential oils of these plants. To investigate the effects of essential oil inhalation on the brain and mood responses, electroencephalography was carried out during the non-task resting state, and self-assessment of the mood state was performed. The essential oils were prepared in several dilutions in the range of the supra-threshold level. The results show that Litsea cubeba oil inhalation showed a sedative effect, observed from alpha and beta wave power reductions. The frontal and temporal regions of the brain were involved in the wave alterations. Garlic oil increased the alpha wave power at lower concentrations; however, a sedative effect was also observed at higher concentrations. Lower dilution oil induced changes in the fast alpha activity in the frontal region. The alpha and beta wave powers were decreased with higher dilution oils, particularly in the temporal, parietal, and occipital regions. Both Litsea cubeba and turmeric oils resulted in better positive moods than garlic oil. Garlic oil caused more negative moods than the others. The psychophysiological activities and the related brain functions require further investigation. The knowledge obtained from this study may be used to design functional food products.

Inhibitory Effects of Litsea cubeba Oil and Its Active Components on Aspergillus flavus

Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) is a frequent harmful fungal pathogen. It can infect traditional Chinese medicine materials and release aflatoxin, to cause both economic and human health effects. By comparing the inhibitory potential of Litsea cubeba oil and its active components to A. flavus CGMCC 3.4408, citral was confirmed to be the main component that inhibits the growth of A. flavus CGMCC 3.4408, and the EC50 was 163.65 mg L−1. The inhibitory effect of citral on A. flavus CGMCC 3.4408 was studied for colony growth rate, mycelium biomass, aflatoxin production, and microstructure. Citral slowed down the growth rate of colonies and reduced mycelium biomass and toxin production. Moreover, citral altered the morphology of fungal spores and mycelium. In addition, citral also has the inhibitory effects on the isolates of A. flavus from moldy traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Thus, citral can be used as a potential agent to check the growth of A. flavus or related fungal strains.

Excess Gibbs Energies and Isothermal Vapor–Liquid Equilibrium for Citral + Linalool, Citral + α-Pinene, and Linalool + α-Pinene Systems Using Headspace Gas Chromatography

Isothermal vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for expensive and thermosensitive Litsea cubeba oil systems, citral + linalool, citral + α-pinene, and linalool + α-pinene, were measured at 333.15, 3...

The Fumigating Activity of Litsea cubeba oil and Citral on Solenopsis invicta

This paper studied the fumigating activity of Litsea cubeba oil and citral on Solenopsis invicta, identified and analyzed the chemical constituents and volatile components of L. cubeba oil via solid-phase microextraction which were then identified via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that citral and (z)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-diena were the main components of L. cubeba oil, as well as its volatile compounds. According to the experimental results, L. cubeba oil and citral had good fumigating activity on workers, and also had significant inhibition on the walking ability and climbing ability of workers. At the same time, the effects of the two agentia on the fumigating activity and behavioral inhibition of microergate were stronger than those of macroergate. After treating with L. cubeba oil and citral for 24 hours, the walking rate and grasping rate of microergate were both 0 %. The results showed that L. cubeba oil and citral had good control effect on S. invicta.

Optimization of Process Conditions for Extracting Litsea cubeba Kernel Oil by Microwave-Assisted Water Method

Litsea cubeba is a rich woody oil plant resource in China. The economic value of Litsea cubeba oil is high. In order to improve the resource utilization rate of Litsea cubeba, this study used microwave-assisted water method to extract Litsea cubeba kernel oil from the seeds of Litsea cubeba. The optimum process conditions were as follows: microwave time 60 min, extraction temperature 80.18 °C, liquid-to-liquid ratio 11.46:1, microwave power 587.44 W. Under this optimized condition, the extraction rate of Litsea cubeba kernel oil was 37.54%. It can be seen that the microwave assisted water generation method for extracting Litsea cubeba nucleolus oil is reliable and has certain utilization value.

Antibacterial activity of essential oils against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and the effect of citral on cell membrane

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has both the pathogenic potential and the ability to cause food spoilage, and is characterized by multi-resistance to many antibiotics. Essential oils (EOs) have been reported as good antimicrobial agents. In this study, seven EOs were selected to evaluate the antibacterial effect against foodborne spoilage S. maltophilia 4–1 by disk diffusion method, broth dilution method, and fumigation treatment. The chemical compositions of EOs were analyzed via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry injecting with both gas and liquid, hoping to reveal the relationship between active compounds and antibacterial activity. The results indicated that litsea cubeba oil (LCO) exhibited a strong inhibitory effect with minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) value of 0.125% (v/v), and only LCO showed bacteriostatic effect in fumigation treatment within the tested range. Its key active component, citral, was responsible for the antibacterial property by causing damage and rupture of cell membrane determined using fluorescent dyes and field emission scanning electron microscope. The minimum inhibitory concentration and MBC of citral against S. maltophilia 4–1 was determined to be 0.25% (v/v) and 0.5% (v/v), respectively. This study reveals the high efficiency of EOs to inhibit bacteria in terms of key active component, and provides an alternative to reduce the resistant bacteria.