No abstract

The occurrence of microorganisms in cheese rinds provokes important economic losses in cheese factories. This may be solved in an environmentally-friendly manner using different edible and biodegradable active coatings. Aromatic plants are particularly well placed to be included in such coatings as they contain different secondary metabolites with beneficial biological properties that could be transferred to the product. In this work, a chitosan solution was optimized for the incorporation of an extract from cotton lavender or Santolina chamaecyparissus L. solid by-product in an edible vegetal coating on 'Manchego' cheese. Namely, the antifungal and antioxidant properties of coatings, as well as the physical characteristics of resulting films were studied. Results showed that the addition of the extract confers significant antioxidant capacities to the coating, increases its antifungal capacities and enhances some physical properties. In addition, the use of coatings containing S. chamaecyparissus by-products is a novel strategy leading to a better management of these residues from the essential oil industry sector.

This work presents the biocidal (insecticidal, ixodicidal, nematicidal, and phytotoxic) effects and chemical compositions of three essential oils obtained from the industrial steam distillation (IEOs) of hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L.), lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia or L. × hybrida var. Super), and cotton lavender (Santolina chamaecyparissus L.). Their chemical composition analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry showed 1,8-cineole (53%) and β-pinene (16%) as the major components of H. officinalis, linalyl acetate (38%) and linalool (29%) of L. × intermedia; and 1,8-cineole (10%) and 8-methylene-3-oxatricyclo[5.2.0.0 ]nonane (8%) in S. chamaecyparissus. The biocidal tests showed that L. × intermedia IEO was the most active against the insect Spodoptera littoralis and toxic to the tick Hyalomma lusitanicum, IEO of H. officinalis was strongly active against S. littoralis, and finally, S. chamaecyparissus IEO was a strong antifeedant against the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi, toxic to H. lusitanicum and with moderate effects against Leptinotarsa decemlineata, S. littoralis, and Lolium perenne.