Antimicrobial Activity of Cinnamaldehyde and Eugenol and Their Activity after Incorporation into Cellulose‐based Packaging Films

Abstract

Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol were investigated for their antimicrobial activity against 10 pathogenic and spoilage bacteria and three strains of yeast, using an agar‐well diffusion assay. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of these compounds were determined using an agar dilution method. Finally, cinnamaldehyde‐incorporated and eugenol‐incorporated methyl cellulose films were prepared to obtain active antimicrobial packaging materials. These antimicrobial cellulose‐based packaging films were investigated for antimicrobial activity against target microorganisms using both an agar‐disc diffusion technique and a vapour diffusion technique. At a concentration of 50 µl/ml, cinnamaldehyde and eugenol revealed antimicrobial activity against all test strains. They showed zones of inhibition, ranging from 8.7 to 30.1 mm in diameter. Eugenol and cinnamaldehyde possessed ‘moderate−strong inhibitory’ and ‘strong−highly strong inhibitory’ characteristics, respectively. With MICs of 0.78−50 µl/ml, cinnamaldehyde and eugenol also inhibited the growth of all test microorganisms. Among the test microorganisms, Aeromonas hydrophila and Enterococcus faecalis were the most sensitive to cinnamaldehyde and eugenol. Cinnamaldehyde showed lower MICs against all test strains than those of eugenol. In an agar‐disc diffusion assay, cellulose‐based film containing cinnamaldehyde or eugenol totally failed to exhibit a clear inhibitory zone. However, it showed positive activity against all selected test strains in terms of size and enumeration of microbial colonies in a vapour diffusion assay. This study shows the potential use of cinnamaldehyde and eugenol for application in antimicrobial packaging film or coating. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effect of carboxymethyl cellulose coating enriched with clove oil on postharvest quality of ‘Xinyu’ mandarin oranges

“…The main chemical compositions of clove oil are eugenol (76.8%), β-caryophyllene (17.4%), α-humulene (2.1%), and eugenyl acetate (1.2%) [3], which are natural and harmless for people and the environment. Clove oil and its active substances have been tested for inhibitory activity against Penicillium italicum [5], Penicillium digitatum [6], Laetiporus sulphureus [7], Aeromonas hydrophila and Enterococcus faecalis [8].…”

In vitro Antimicrobial Activity and Effect on E. Coli Integrity of Cinnamon Essential Oil and Rhubarb Ethanol Extract

“…Rhubarb is widely cultivated in the south of China as a traditional herb. In recent years, studies on cinnamon essential oil and rhubarb have attracted more attention due to the potential biological functions of these plants (Nutcha Sanla-Ead et al, 2012;Chao et al, 2000;Muthuswamy et al, 2008;Li et al, 2011;Yang et al, 2007;Fei et al, 2010). However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no available reports on the chemical compositions, antimicrobial activities, synergy effects and mechanism of CEO and REE.…”

Fabrication of an antimicrobial active packaging and its effect on the growth of Pseudomonas and aerobic mesophilic bacteria in chicken

“…A packaging system that allows for the slow release of an antimicrobial agent into the food could significantly increase the shelf life and retain the quality of a variety of foods [14]. Several articles have reported the use of antimicrobial agents to formulate antimicrobial packaging [6,[13][14][15][16][17][18]. Essential oils and their components have antimicrobial properties against microorganisms (including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria) [13,14,16,[19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

“…Several articles have reported the use of antimicrobial agents to formulate antimicrobial packaging [6,[13][14][15][16][17][18]. Essential oils and their components have antimicrobial properties against microorganisms (including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria) [13,14,16,[19][20][21][22][23][24]. The use of essential oils (e.g., cinnamon, oregano, clove, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, lemon, lime, orange, peppermint, basil, wintergreen and thyme) as antimicrobial agents, in vitro and in foodstuffs, has been reported in several studies [13,16,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26].…”

“…Essential oils and their components have antimicrobial properties against microorganisms (including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria) [13,14,16,[19][20][21][22][23][24]. The use of essential oils (e.g., cinnamon, oregano, clove, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, lemon, lime, orange, peppermint, basil, wintergreen and thyme) as antimicrobial agents, in vitro and in foodstuffs, has been reported in several studies [13,16,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. The FDA has categorized clove oil as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in dental cement and as a food additive (CFR 184.1257).…”