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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@gilanet.com>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Basil & Thyme
  • Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 07:24:25 -0700


Basil & Thyme Essential
Oils Combat Foodborne Bacteria
FoodNavigator.com
1-28-4


The antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties
attibuted to essential oils can be used as natural additives in a range of
foods. New research into basil and thyme essential oils reveals their ability
to curb Shigella, a harmful foodborne bacteria.

Previous research has shown that thyme and basil have antimicrobial
potential. Building on this research, scientists at Ghent university in
Belgium opted to investigate the antimicrobial impact of thyme and basil
essential oil and their major constituents towards Shigella.

According to the researchers who published their findings in the February
issue of Food Microbiology, thyme essential oil and its major constituents
thymol and carvacrol decontaminated Shigella inoculated lettuce.

They also found that thyme and basil essential oil, and their major compounds
thymol, estragol, carvacrol, linalool and p-cymene, inhibited Shigella in an
agar diffusion method.

The researchers determined the antimicrobial effect of basil and thyme
essential oil and its major constituents thymol, p-cymene, estragol,
linalool, and carvacrol by using an agar well diffusion assay.

Thyme essential oil, thymol and carvacrol showed inhibition of Shigella sp.
in the agar diffusion method. The potential of thyme essential oil, thymol
and carvacrol at 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent v/v for decontamination of
lettuce was evaluated.

According to the findings, the researchers noted a decrease of the shigellae
after washing with 0.5 per cent while at 1 per cent Shigella numbers dropped
below the detection limit. The antimicrobial effect on a subsequent lettuce
sample in the same decontamination solution was significantly decreased. In
addition, application of thyme essential oil or thymol or carvacrol for
decontamination is hampered by sensoric properties of the lettuce (browning,
strong odour), note the researchers.

"In this study, it was shown that essential oils and their compounds have
potential to be used for decontamination of minimally processed vegetables,"
write the authors of the paper.

More research into the use of essential oils as food preservatives is needed,
concluded the scientits.

Used since antiquity for their antimicrobial potential, herbs and spices have
played a role in food protection for thousands of years.

According to the researchers, in recent years, two consumer-driven demands
have arisen in the food industry. The first is the provision of fresh,
natural foods requiring minimal preparation and the second is the control of
food safety. But only a few studies have evaluated the potential role of
essential oils and their components as food preservatives.

With the natural trend still on a steep, upward curve, the recent findings
from Belgium suggest that the food industry should start to invest more time
and money into discovering the full potential essential oils could play in
food preservation.

Full findings are published in the February issue (Volume 21, Issue 1,
February 2004, Pages 33-42) of Food Microbiology.

© 2000/2004 ñ NOVIS. - All Rights Reserved.

http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/news-NG.asp?id=49337






  • [Livingontheland] Basil & Thyme, Tradingpost, 01/29/2004

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