Essential oils of aromatic and medicinal plants play a role in food safety
Corresponding Author
Marta Laranjo
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Correspondence
Marta Laranjo, ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, Évora 7006-554, Portugal.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAna M. Fernández-León
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorAna C. Agulheiro-Santos
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Departamento de Fitotecnia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorMaria E. Potes
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorMiguel Elias
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Departamento de Fitotecnia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Marta Laranjo
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Correspondence
Marta Laranjo, ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, Évora 7006-554, Portugal.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAna M. Fernández-León
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorAna C. Agulheiro-Santos
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Departamento de Fitotecnia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorMaria E. Potes
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorMiguel Elias
ICAAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, IIFA-Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Departamento de Fitotecnia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Essential oils (EOs) are natural substances extracted from aromatic and medicinal plants (AMPs), important in food preservation. Several studies have shown that AMPs, as well as their EOs have antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) activity. Indeed, our in vitro studies have shown that oregano and thyme EOs are effective against foodborne bacteria, isolated from fermented meat products and cheeses, such as Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus. However, EOs of thyme and oregano seem to control the growth of fungi, namely Botrytis cinerea and Aspergillus spp., affecting the shelf-life of fruits during postharvest. The EOs of sage and rosemary have shown little or no antimicrobial activity. Shelf-life extension studies using several EOs (cinnamon, clove, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme) and AMPs were performed using pork meat, goat cheese, strawberries, and table grapes. Preliminary results regarding food safety and sensory acceptability are discussed.
Practical applications
Consumers' demands for more traditional and healthier food products led to a search for alternatives to replace synthetic by natural additives. EOs of AMPs contribute to food safety, due to their antimicrobial properties. Consequently, the use of AMPs' EOs may also extend the shelf-life of food products. In the present study, experimental shelf-life trials using EOs with different food products were performed, with promising preliminary results. Cinnamon, sage, and thyme EOs extended the shelf-life of strawberries and table grapes. Oregano EO prolonged the shelf-life of soft cheese. Thyme EO controlled the population of enterobacteria present in pork meat. Furthermore, the conditions used in this study can be directly applied in the food industry. Moreover, AMPs may be interesting alternatives to replace or reduce artificial food additives.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
REFERENCES
- Álvarez, D., Delgado, D., Salazar, C., & Hurtado, A. (2010). Evaluación de la sensibilidad del patógeno Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary al bioinsumo de fique (Furcraea gigantea Vent) in vitro. Paper presented at the Memorias XII Congreso Internacional/XXXVII Nacional de la Sociedad Mexicana de Fitopatología, Mérida, México.
- Aminzare, M., Hashemi, M., Hassanzad Azar, H., & Hejazi, J. (2016). The use of herbal extracts and essential oils as a potential antimicrobial in meat and meat products: A review. Journal of Human, Environment, and Health Promotion, 1(2), 63–74. https://doi.org/10.29252/jhehp.1.2.63
10.29252/jhehp.1.2.63 Google Scholar
- Arvind, G. K., Agarwal, R., & Vishnuraj, M. R. (2015). Antimicrobial effect of oregano and thyme essential oils coated carrageenan based edible film. Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 9(2), 1657–1663.
- Asensio, C. M., Grosso, N. R., & Rodolfo Juliani, H. (2015). Quality preservation of organic cottage cheese using oregano essential oils. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 60(2), 664–671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2014.10.054
- Burt, S. (2004). Essential oils: Their antibacterial properties and potential applications in foods: A review. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 94(3), 223–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2004.03.022
- Campos, T., Barreto, S., Queirós, R., Ricardo-Rodrigues, S., Félix, M. R., Laranjo, M., … Agulheiro-Santos, A. C. (2016). Conservação de morangos com utilização de óleos essenciais. AGROTEC, 18, 90–96.
- D'Amato, S., Mazzarrino, G., Rossi, C., Serio, A., López, C. C., Celano, G. V., & Paparella, A. (2016). Thymus vulgaris (red thyme) and Caryophyllus aromaticus (Clove) essential oils to control spoilage microorganisms in pork under modified atmosphere. Italian Journal of Food Safety, 5(3), 5785. https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2016.5785
- Duarte, Y., Pino, O., Infante, D., Sánchez, Y., Travieso, M. D. C., &Martínez, B. (2013). Efecto in vitro de aceites esenciales sobre Alternaria solani Sorauer. Revista de Protección Vegetal, 28, 54–59.
- Es'haghi Gorji, M., Noori, N., Nabizadeh Nodehi, R., Jahed Khaniki, G., Rastkari, N., & Alimohammadi, M. (2014). The evaluation of Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil effect on biogenic amines formation and microbiological profile in Gouda cheese. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 59(6), 621–630. https://doi.org/10.1111/lam.12319
- Espina, L., Somolinos, M., Lorán, S., Conchello, P., García, D., & Pagán, R. (2011). Chemical composition of commercial citrus fruit essential oils and evaluation of their antimicrobial activity acting alone or in combined processes. Food Control, 22(6), 896–902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2010.11.021
- Fratianni, F., De Martino, L., Melone, A., De Feo, V., Coppola, R., & Nazzaro, F. (2010). Preservation of Chicken breast meat treated with thyme and balm essential oils. Journal of Food Science, 75(8), M528–M535. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01791.x
- García-Díez, J., Alheiro, J., Falco, V., Fraqueza, M. J., & Patarata, L. (2017). Chemical characterization and antimicrobial properties of herbs and spices essential oils against pathogens and spoilage bacteria associated to dry-cured meat products. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 29(2), 117–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.2016.1212738
- García-Díez, J., Alheiro, J., Pinto, A. L., Soares, L., Falco, V., Fraqueza, M. J., & Patarata, L. (2016). Behaviour of food-borne pathogens on dry cured sausage manufactured with herbs and spices essential oils and their sensorial acceptability. Food Control, 59, 262–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.05.027
- Govaris, A., Botsoglou, E., Sergelidis, D., & Chatzopoulou, P. S. (2011). Antibacterial activity of oregano and thyme essential oils against Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feta cheese packaged under modified atmosphere. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 44(4), 1240–1244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2010.09.022
- Gyawali, R., & Ibrahim, S. A. (2014). Natural products as antimicrobial agents. Food Control, 46, 412–429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.05.047
- ISO 8586-1. (1993). Sensory analysis—General guidance for the selection, training and monitoring of assessors—Part 1: Selected assessors.
- ISO 17410 C.F.R. (2001). Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs—Horizontal method for the enumeration of psychrotrophic microorganisms.
- ISO 8589. (2007). Sensory analysis—General guidance for the design of test rooms.
- ISO 21527-2 C.F.R. (2008). Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs—Horizontal method for the enumeration of yeasts and moulds—Part 2: Colony count technique in products with water activity less than or equal to 0,95.
- ISO 4833–1 C.F.R. (2013). Microbiology of the food chain—Horizontal method for the enumeration of microorganisms—Part 1: Colony count at 30 degrees C by the pour plate technique.
- ISO 21528–2 C.F.R. (2017). Microbiology of the food chain—Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae—Part 2: Colony-count technique.
- Karabagias, I., Badeka, A., & Kontominas, M. G. (2011). Shelf life extension of lamb meat using thyme or oregano essential oils and modified atmosphere packaging. Meat Science, 88(1), 109–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2010.12.010
- Kloucek, P., Smid, J., Frankova, A., Kokoska, L., Valterova, I., & Pavela, R. (2012). Fast screening method for assessment of antimicrobial activity of essential oils in vapor phase. Food Research International, 47(2), 161–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2011.04.044
- Laranjo, M., Fernández-Léon, A. M., Potes, M. E., Agulheiro-Santos, A. C., & Elias, M. (2017). Use of essential oils in food preservation. In A. Méndez-Vilas (Ed.), Antimicrobial research: Novel bioknowledge and educational programs (pp. 177–188). Badajoz, Spain: Formatex Research Center.
- Lopez-Reyes, J. G., Spadaro, D., Gullino, M. L., & Garibaldi, A. (2010). Efficacy of plant essential oils on postharvest control of rot caused by fungi on four cultivars of apples in vivo. Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 25(3), 171–177. https://doi.org/10.1002/ffj.1989
- Lubbe, A., & Verpoorte, R. (2011). Cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants for specialty industrial materials. Industrial Crops and Products, 34(1), 785–801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2011.01.019
- Melgarejo-Flores, B. G., Ortega-Ramírez, L. A., Silva-Espinoza, B. A., González-Aguilar, G. A., Miranda, M. R. A., & Ayala-Zavala, J. F. (2013). Antifungal protection and antioxidant enhancement of table grapes treated with emulsions, vapors, and coatings of cinnamon leaf oil. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 86, 321–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2013.07.027
- Olmedo, R. H., Nepote, V., & Grosso, N. R. (2013). Preservation of sensory and chemical properties in flavoured cheese prepared with cream cheese base using oregano and rosemary essential oils. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 53(2), 409–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2013.04.007
- Ponce, A. G., Roura, S. I., del Valle, C. E., & Moreira, M. R. (2008). Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of edible coatings enriched with natural plant extracts: In vitro and in vivo studies. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 49(2), 294–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2008.02.013
- Reyes-Jurado, F., Franco-Vega, A., Ramírez-Corona, N., Palou, E., & López-Malo, A. (2014). Essential oils: Antimicrobial activities, extraction methods, and their modeling. Food Engineering Reviews, 7(3), 275–297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12393-014-9099-2
- Sharma, H., Mendiratta, S. K., Agarwal, R. K., Kumar, S., & Soni, A. (2017). Evaluation of anti-oxidant and anti-microbial activity of various essential oils in fresh chicken sausages. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54(2), 279–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-016-2461-z
- Sivakumar, D., & Bautista-Baños, S. (2014). A review on the use of essential oils for postharvest decay control and maintenance of fruit quality during storage. Crop Protection, 64, 27–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2014.05.012
- Smith-Palmer, A., Stewart, J., & Fyfe, L. (2001). The potential application of plant essential oils as natural food preservatives in soft cheese. Food Microbiology, 18(4), 463–470. https://doi.org/10.1006/fmic.2001.0415
- Soni, A., Gurunathan, K., Mendiratta, S. K., Talukder, S., Jaiswal, R. K., & Sharma, H. (2018). Effect of essential oils incorporated edible film on quality and storage stability of chicken patties at refrigeration temperature (4 ± 1°C). Journal of Food Science and Technology, 55(9), 3538–3546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-018-3279-7
- Soni, A., Kandeepan, G., Mendiratta, S. K., Shukla, V., & Kumar, A. (2016). Development and characterization of essential oils incorporated carrageenan based edible film for packaging of chicken patties. Nutrition & Food Science, 46(1), 82–95. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs-05-2015-0065
- Swamy, M. K., Akhtar, M. S., & Sinniah, U. R. (2016). Antimicrobial properties of plant essential oils against human pathogens and their mode of action: An updated review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Ecam, 2016, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/3012462
- Thakur, N., Mendiratta, S. K., Chauhan, G., Soni, A., & Agrawal, R. K. (2019). Antioxidant and antimicrobial effect of oregano essential oil on shelf-life of chicken patties. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 8(02), 3076–3087. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2019.802.360
- Valero, D., Valverde, J. M., Martínez-Romero, D., Guillén, F., Castillo, S., & Serrano, M. (2006). The combination of modified atmosphere packaging with eugenol or thymol to maintain quality, safety and functional properties of table grapes. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 41(3), 317–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2006.04.011
- Valverde, J. M., Guillén, F., Martínez-Romero, D., Castillo, S., Serrano, M., & Valero, D. (2005). Improvement of table grapes quality and safety by the combination of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and eugenol, menthol, or thymol. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53(19), 7458–7464. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf050913i