Antimicrobial Potential of Essential Oils from Cerrado Plants against Multidrug−Resistant Foodborne Microorganisms

Abstract

Foodborne pathogens are a real public health concern in an escalating antimicrobial resistance scenario. Natural products represent a promising source of bioactive molecules, and essential oils have attracted much attention due to their myriad of biological properties, including antibacterial activities. In this context, essential oils obtained from the leaves of Chromolaena squalida, Campomanesia sessiliflora, Myrsine guianensis, Matayba guianensis, Siparuna guianensis, Ocotea minarum and Endlicheria paniculata—species from the Cerrado biome of Midwest Brazil—were extracted and evaluated for their antibacterial activity against a panel of four standard and three clinical multidrug−resistant bacterial strains. All tested oils showed moderate to good activity against at least four bacterial strains, including Salmonella Typhi and oxacillin−resistant Staphylococcus. The essential oils from C. squalida, C. sessiliflora, My. guianensis and Ma. guianensis showed strong inhibition of clinical Staphylococcus strains, which cause bovine mastitis and are related to milk−borne diseases. Their chemical profiles were investigated by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which revealed a predominance of mono− and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, some of which with well−known antimicrobial properties. The essential oil from Cerrado plants proved active against resistant Gram−positive and Gram−negative bacteria, revealing their potentialities for the development of new alternative agents to prevent the spreading of resistant bacterial contamination.

Synergistic Antimicrobial Effectiveness of Plant Essential Oil and Its Application in Seafood Preservation: A Review

“…Furthermore, synergistic antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens was revealed when antibiotics were used in combination with EOs. de Jesus et al (2020) reported that EOs from Cerrado plants proved to be active against resistant bacteria including S. Typhi and oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus strains [ 25 ]. Clove and thyme essential oils exhibit antimicrobial activities that have been mainly attributed to their ability to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation, and hence, they have been proposed as a natural alternative to be used in combination with antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria [ 26 ].…”

Lemon Oils Attenuate the Pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Quorum Sensing Inhibition

“…Foodborne diseases increasingly attract public attention worldwide because they can cause significant losses in society and considerably affect the economy [ 21 ]. The antimicrobial resistance issue has not spared the food industry; for example, P. aeruginosa acquired resistance to synthetic food preservatives commonly employed in foodstuff [ 22 ].…”

Advances in the use of biocontrol applications in preharvest and postharvest environments: A food safety milestone

“…vulgaris EOs exhibited antimicrobial activity against 24‐hr Aeromonas biofilms. In a more recent study, EOs from the leaves of cerrado plants of Midwest Brazil showed moderate to good antibacterial activity against a panel of four standard and three clinical multidrug‐resistant bacterial strains, including Salmonella serotype typhi and oxacillin−resistant Staphylococcus (de Jesus et al, 2020). These findings support the potential of EOs against foodborne bacteria particularly their putative applicability on multidrug‐resistant strains.…”