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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.

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