Antioxidant and antifungal properties of essential oils of oregano (Origanum vulgare) and mint (Mentha arvensis) against Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium commune for use in food preservation

Abstract

This study determined the chemical composition and evaluated the antioxidant activity and antifungal properties of essential oils of oregano (Origanum vulgare) and mint (Mentha arvensis) against the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium commune as possible alternatives for food preservation. The antimicrobial activity of both oils is shown by their minimum inhibitory concentration (4 mg/mL) for oregano oil, and (8 mg/mL) for mint oil, and minimum inhibitory dose (< 110 µl/L) for oregano oil, and (< 1500 µL/L) for mint oil. In addition, both oils presented antioxidant activity superior to 70% at the concentrations of 0.5 mg/mL for oregano oil and 30 mg/mL for mint oil after 360 min of reaction. As a control, the oils were evaluated for their cytotoxic potential using cells in culture and the method based on mitochondrial activity. Both oils were cytotoxic to both cell lines tested, with cells' survival rates less than 20% when in contact with 25 μg/mL of oils concentrations. Overall, the essential oils have activity against Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium commune, and their volatile components expressed high antifungal activity that expands their use for situations in which direct contact with the liquid is undesired. However, both essential oils showed high cytotoxicity.

Comparative analysis of the antioxidant capacity of some natural and synthetic antioxidants added to palm oil

“…It can be concluded that the concentration of essential oil compounds varies depending on the time of harvest, growing conditions, geographical location, altitude, climate, genetic diversity and phenological age of the plant at the time of cutting [14]. According to Almeida et al [15]the IC50 value for oregano oil is 0.5 mg/mL, which is almost the same value as in this study. From the presented results, it can be seen that synthetic antioxidants have a higher antioxidant capacity than natural ones.…”

Chemical Composition, and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Oregano Essential Oil

“…It should be added that OEO composition can be modified by ontogenetic factors [ 17 ], environmental factors [ 18 ], and production conditions [ 5 , 19 ]. Carvacrol, β-caryophyllene, o-cymene, γ-terpinene, linalool and thymol are mentioned as primary components of OEO [ 3 , 5 ]. Among the main constituents of OEO, carvacrol, a compound with broad biological activity, including antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, occupies a special place [ 9 ].…”

“…Oregano is a good source of natural antioxidants with potential use in the food and pharmaceutical industries as a safer alternative to synthetic antioxidants [ 20 , 21 ]. The AA of the essential oil obtained from oregano herb is estimated by the DPPH method to be approximately 60–70% [ 3 , 14 ]. The stable DPPH radical is often used to determine the AA of single compounds as well as extracts obtained from plant material [ 22 ].…”

“…The development of new drugs now appears to be the most critical prerequisite for controlling microorganisms, which are increasingly resistant to previously used drugs [ 2 ]. Some of the more promising substances with potential antimicrobial activity are essential oils (EOs) obtained from various plant species [ 3 , 4 ]. The biological activity of EOs depends on various factors, including the extraction method.…”

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

“…EOs are a combination of nonvolatile and volatile natural compounds which have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (Bakkali et al, 2008). Many investigations have been made by many researchers on the chemical contents (Shin et al, 2022), antimicrobial (Chikhoune et al, 2013) and antifungal properties (Almeida et al, 2022) of different Eos. The EOs are approved as antimicrobial agents against several pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms involved in foodborne diseases (Aydogdu et al, 2020).…”