Indexing p. 1  Editorial Bord p. 1  Guide for Authors p. 3  Manuscript preparation p. 5

This study was carried out to improve the microbiological safety and shelf life of minimally processed cabbage and carrots at 16C. Salad vegetables can be a source of opportunistic pathogens and spoilage bacteria -namely, Aeromonas hydrophila, A. sobria and Pseudomonas syringae. The inhibitory potential of trans-2-hexenal, lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) against the selected bacteria was assessed in vitro and in situ conditions using their respective minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Application of trans-2-hexenal and lactic acid caused significant decrease (P < 0.05) in bacterial counts in in situ conditions during 6-day testing. Lactic acid and trans-2-hexenal showed the highest inhibitory potential for concentrations 3/4 MIC and 2 MIC, respectively, depending on the tested bacteria and substrate. H2O2 showed the lowest inhibitory potential regardless of the testing conditions. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSMinimally processed fruit and vegetables can be infected with certain pathogens if proper procedures like washing, cutting and packaging are not performed with highest standards. The present work was carried out with an aim to ensure the microbiological safety and quality of minimally processed carrots and cabbage by reducing the number of pathogens and phytopathogens like A. hydrophila, A. sobria and P. syringae using trans-2-hexenal, H2O2 and lactic acid as a washing treatment before packaging. The optimized washing solutions were found to produce a satisfactory effect on the reduction of the aforementioned bacteria ensuring the microbiological quality of minimally processed cabbage and carrots for human consumption.

Background:Essential oil components eugenol and carvacrol (ranging between 100 and 200 ppm for carvacrol and between 250 and 750 ppm for eugenol) were tested for antifungal activity against foodborne pathogenic fungal species Aspergillus carbonarius A1102 and Penicillium roqueforti PTFKK29 in in vitro and in situ conditions.Materials and Methods:In vitro antifungal activity of eugenol and carvacrol was evaluated by macrobroth method, while watermelon Citrullus lanatus L. Sorento slices were used for antifungal assays in situ.Results:Selected components, eugenol and carvacrol showed significant inhibitory effect against tested fungi (A. carbonarius A1102 and P. roqueforti PTFKK29) in yeast extract sucrose broth, as well as in in situ conditions. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of eugenol against A. carbonarius A1102 determined by macrobroth method was 2000 ppm, while against P. roqueforti PTFKK29 determined MIC was 1000 ppm. Carvacrol inhibited growth of A. carbonarius A1102 at minimal concentration of 500 ppm, while against P. roqueforti PTFKK29, MIC was 250 ppm. The assays in real food system watermelon slices for eugenol and carvacrol show that the inhibitory effect against both selected fungal species was concentration dependent. Furthermore, our results showed that antifungal effect of carvacrol as well as eugenol applied on watermelon slices in all concentrations was a result of effective synergy between an active antifungal compound and lower incubation temperature (15°C) in inhibition of A. carbonarius A1102.Conclusion:The present study suggests that the use of eugenol and carvacrol is promising natural alternative to the use of food chemical preservatives, in order to improve safety and quality of fresh-cut and ready-to-eat fruits.