Basil, marjoram, nutmeg and oregano essential oils as natural preservatives of Quark-type cheese

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of basil, marjoram, nutmeg, and oregano essential oils to use the essential oil with better results for Quark-type cheese preservation. To verify the shelf life of Quark-type cheese without essential oil (CTL) and Quark-type cheese added with 0.05% essential oil (OE), microbiological and physicochemical analyses were performed for 35 days (4 °C). The acceptability of the product was also evaluated. The oregano essential oil showed strong antimicrobial activity in the disk-diffusion test (34.0 to 51.0 mm), and lower values of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against all species of bacteria tested. A lower mold and yeast count (p < 0.05) was observed during storage in OE denoting a positive effect in delaying its deterioration. On the other hand, there was no difference (p > 0.05) between the CTL and OE count of total mesophiles and Enterobacteriaceae. For the physicochemical parameters evaluated, there were no significant differences between the CTL and OE, thus denoting that the typical characteristics of this cheese were maintained. The Quark-type cheese added with oregano essential oil also showed good acceptability (> 7), which is a way to preserve the product with a natural additive.

Modeling and Optimization of Herb-Fortified Fresh Kombucha Cheese: An Artificial Neural Network Approach for Enhancing Quality Characteristics

“…Furthermore, numerous common herbs traditionally used have both antioxidant and antimicrobial activities [13,15,16]. Herb cheese commonly may include green chili pepper [17], hot pepper [18], Jalapeno red pepper [19], pepper, parsley, dill [20], black peppercorns [21], horseradish [22], ginger, clove, and thyme essential oils [23], black cumin [24], caraway [25] parsley and ginger essential oil [26], tarragon essential oil [27], nutmeg, basil, majoran and oregano essential oil [28], garlic [29], wild onion [30], and tomato powder [31].…”

Effects of some postharvest essential oil applications on the fruit quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) during cold storage

“…The search for natural additives such as essential oils is increasing (Schuh et al, 2022). In particular, essential oils (EOs) produced from miscellaneous aromatic plants such as rosemary, sage, bay leaf, lemongrass, cinnamon, and thyme have been accepted as suitable antimicrobial agents by many researchers because of their antibacterial effects against food-related pathogen bacteria and spoilage.…”