Use of Antimicrobial and Genotoxicity Potentiality for Evaluation of Essential Oils as Food Preservatives

Abstract

In this study, investigations were carried out to assess the efficiency of two plant essential oils; rosemary and oregano as natural food preservatives. The effect of the plant essential oils at concentrations of 0.1%, 0.5% and 1% was studied in the soft cheese against Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli at fridge temprature over a 14-day period. The essential oils performed well in the inhibition of S. enteritidis and E. coli. It is concluded that selected plant essential oils can act as potent inhibitors of both microorganisms in a food product. At the same time, evaluation of their safety as food preservatives was undertaken via monitoring the genotoxic activity of the mentioned essential oils using Vicia faba test. Vicia faba roots were treated with the above concentrations for 3 hours. Results revealed cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of the applied doses. Mitotic index decreased significantly when compared to control. Chromosomal abnormalities and micronuclei were also observed and the effects were dose-dependent. Despite the efficient role of the studied oils as antimicrobial agents, their genotoxicity potential in eukaryotic cells made them unacceptable as food preservatives, particularly at high doses. Therefore, more research in the use of essential oils as food preservatives is needed.

In vitro genotoxicity testing of carvacrol and thymol using the micronucleus and mouse lymphoma assays

“…Among the different in vitro mammalian gene-mutation assays the mouse lymphoma assay (MLA) is the most widely used [14]. Similarly, the in vitro MN assay is increasingly used in the evaluation of Eos [15][16][17] instead of the classical CA assay [18][19][20].…”

Essential oils from Egyptian aromatic plants as antioxidant and novel anticancer agents in human cancer cell lines

“…The screening of plant extracts/ essential oils and natural products for anti-oxidative activity has revealed the potential of higher plants as a source of new antioxidant agents. The oil could be an excellent alternative to a number of synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), because there are concerns that these synthetic antioxidants may exhibit carcinogenic properties (Hamedo and Abdelmigid, 2009). Essential oil is a volatile, natural and complex compound present in a variety of aromatic plants and mostly extracted by steam or hydro-distillation from the plants (Jo et al, 2012).…”

Flower Extracts and Their Essential Oils as Potential Antimicrobial Agents for Food Uses and Pharmaceutical Applications

“…Given the scope of searching new antimicrobial agents, antimicrobials derived from plant materials are often regarded as natural and safe compared to industrial chemicals. Of late, plant‐based medicine has become more popular due to the increasing concern of consumers with regard to the use of synthetic chemical preparations and use of artificial antimicrobial preservatives, especially in modern food protection practices (Marino and others 2001; Hamedo and Abdelmigid 2009).…”