Antimicrobial activity of some plant essential oils against Listeria monocytogenes

The antimicrobial activity of 32 plant essential oils commonly used in food industry was examined against four strains of Listeria monocytogenes and one strain of Listeria innocua. Two different procedures were carried out to test the essential oils, a paper disc diffusion method and an inhibition c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of food protection 1992-05, Vol.55 (5), p.344-348
Main Authors: Aureli, P. (Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Roma, Italy), Costantini, A, Zolea, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ACEITES ESENCIALES
ALIMENTOS
ALMACENAMIENTO
Biological and medical sciences
Food industries
Food microbiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
HUILE ESSENTIELLE
INHIBICION
INHIBITION
Listeria innocua
LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES
PRODUIT ALIMENTAIRE
PROPIEDADES ANTIMICROBIANAS
PROPRIETE ANTIMICROBIENNE
STOCKAGE
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Summary:The antimicrobial activity of 32 plant essential oils commonly used in food industry was examined against four strains of Listeria monocytogenes and one strain of Listeria innocua. Two different procedures were carried out to test the essential oils, a paper disc diffusion method and an inhibition curve. In the former procedure an absolute ethanolic solution (1:5 v/v) of each oil was tested on the plates inoculated with a bacterial concentration of 10(6) CFU/ml. Five of the 32 essential oils (cinnamon, clove, origanum, pimento, and thyme) showed antibacterial activity. Some of the five oils were also tested at lower concentration (1:50 v/v). The inhibition curve to study antilisteric efficacies of the five oils in a saline solution system was examined. Pimento oil showed marked and rapid activity (generally within 1 h of exposure), whereas clove, origanum, and thyme oils showed a more slow activity. The antilisteric activity of the tested oils seems to be strain dependent. A L. monocytogenes strain was also tested in a food matrix (minced pork meat) against thyme essential oil. Minced pork meat with thyme oil reduced the L. monocytogenes population by ca. 100-fold over the first week of storage
ISSN:0362-028X
1944-9097
DOI:10.4315/0362-028X-55.5.344