Antimicrobial activity of leaf and bark cinnamon essential oils against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium in broth system and on celery

Abstract

Cinnamon essential oils (CEOs) from leaf and bark were investigated for their antimicrobial potential against Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes. Minimum inhibitory concentration of leaf and bark CEOs against S. typhimurium and L. monocytogenes at low (4‐log CFU/ml) and high (9‐log CFU/ml) initial concentrations was 0.5% (vol/vol). When applied on fresh celery previously inoculated with S. typhimurium or L. monocytogenes, 0.5% leaf and bark CEOs significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the growth of S. typhimurium and L. monocytogenes. Leaf and bark CEOs could give a better log reduction against L. monocytogenes inoculated at low and high initial bacterial concentrations (2.1 logs and 4.0–4.1 logs, respectively) on the celery as compared to S. typhimurium (1.8–2.0 logs and 2.8–3.2 logs in reduction, respectively), after 7 days of storage at 4°C. Hence, leaf and bark CEOs can be potential antimicrobial agents to keep fresh produce safe from Salmonella and Listeria for human consumption. Practical applications This study showed that essential oils (CEOs) from cinnamon bark and leaf could be applied as natural antimicrobials to prevent contaminations of foodborne bacteria, such as Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes in fresh and pre‐cut produce. The minimum inhibitory concentration of these essential oils against these pathogens was 0.5% vol/vol. Bark and leaf CEOs could be a potential antimicrobial agent to keep fresh produce safe from foodborne pathogens.

Novel natural food preservatives and applications in seafood preservation: a review

“…It was determined that EOs of the leaf and bark can be used as a potential antimicrobial agent in foods. EO derived from bark was better than those derived from leaf with respect to antimicrobial activity . Other researchers confirmed that the amount of bark EOs in cinnamon was high …”

Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Agents—Myth or Real Alternative?

“…Listeria is responsible for about 1600 cases of food poisoning in the US and 260 deaths annually, while Salmonella caused about 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths annually in the US. Both Salmonella and Listeria can contaminate food, such as fruits, vegetables, seafood, and dairy products [6]. Furthermore, Brnawi et al [6] investigated whether the cinnamon EO would inhibit the growth of bacteria growing on celery stored at 4 °C for 7 days.…”

“…Humans have used EOs for thousands of years, not only as ingredients of perfumes or as seasonings for the aromatization of food, but also in folk medicine, because of their many different biological properties, including antimicrobial properties [6]. The antimicrobial qualities are essential in managing the rapidly growing issue of drug-resistant microorganisms.…”

Recent Advances in the Application of Antibacterial Complexes Using Essential Oils

“…However, the limitation of a singular EO treatment in the efficiency has been highlighted, as reported by previous studies, mainly because of: (1) The negligible antibacterial effects (ca. <1 log reduction) [25,44,45], (2) the requirement of a high EO concentration to achieve a desirable effect from short-term exposure [46,47], or (3) the requirement of a long-term exposure [48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59].…”