Comprehensive Evaluation on the Use of Thymus vulgaris Essential Oil as Natural Additive against Different Serotypes of Salmonella enterica

Abstract

Essential oils were proposed as natural additives to ensure food safety and quality in a more sustainable approach. The chemical composition of Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TV-EO) collected from Morocco, its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity against different serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica was investigated. A mathematical model was implemented to predict the Salmonella behavior when exposed to TV-EO. In situ antimicrobial activity and sensory influence were tested in minced poultry meat experimentally contaminated with Salmonella and treated with TV-EO. Hydrodistillation was used to extract TV-EO, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis found thymol as the most representative compound. Results of the antioxidant activity showed an IC50 of 0.29 ± 0.04 mg/mL, EC50 of 0.74 ± 0.08 mg/mL, and RC50 of 0.59 ± 0.06 mg/mL. All the Salmonella strains were susceptible to TV-EO with performing results for the disc diffusion method (inhibition diameters ranged between 24 ± 0.4mm and 32 ± 0.6 mm), determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC; 0.5%) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC; 1%), sublethal-injured cells (7.99 ± 0.08%), in situ activity (growth inhibition after 3 days), and meat sensory preservation (up to 1 week). The implemented mathematical model well fitted the Salmonella growth curve. TV-EO with significant antioxidant and antibacterial activities was suitable to ensure food safety and quality consistent with the new sustainable trends in the food field.

Microbial Risk Assessment of Industrial Ice Cream Marketed in Italy

“…If properly performed, pasteurization ensures the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms and reduction of the vegetative microbial forms [35]. The use of raw materials with poor microbiological standards can negatively impact the effectiveness of the heat treatment, threatening the quality and safety of the product [6,36,37] Indeed, pasteurization treatments lose their effectiveness against spore-forms, thermoduric microorganisms, thermostable myco-and bacterial toxins and heat-resistant enzymes possibly present in the raw materials, which may spoil the product and pose risks for the consumer's health [35].…”

“…Therefore, it is clear that the real risk is represented by contamination with high microbial loads, such as for the three ice creams contaminated by levels of L. monocytogenes beyond the acceptability limits, or if the contamination occurs by pathogenic microorganisms with a very low minimum infectious dose, such as some strains of Salmonella spp. [37].…”

Balantidiasis: A Neglected Tropical Disease Used as a Study Model for a Holistic Approach to Sustainable Development in the Framework of Agenda 2030 Goals

“…In the last three decades, over 30 new human pathogens have been detected, and 73% of the currently emerging and re-emerging pathogenic agents may cause zoonoses [2,3]. The transmission of zoonotic disease occurs at the human-animal interface through direct or indirect exposure of humans to animals, their products (i.e., meat, milk, eggs), the same vectors, and/or sharing the same environment [4,5]. Environment plays the crucial role in zoonosis transmission and spread.…”

“…Nowadays, it is estimated that the world population will increase in the coming year, and with it the food demand [5]. How we currently exploit natural resources for our livelihoods puts an increasing pressure on the environment on which we depend.…”

Effectiveness of essential oil from the Artemisia herba-alba aerial parts against multidrug-resistant bacteria isolated from food and hospitalized patients

“…Since ancient times, A. herba-alba was widely used as a traditional medicine especially in the area of the Mediterranean basin and, nowadays, it is still used as a natural remedy in the household (Gacem et al 2020). The farm of this plant could represent a significant economic source, especially for the rural population, besides a new and "green" medical and pharmacological solution in the perspective of more sustainable world development (Ed-Dra et al 2021;Trabelsi et al 2021).…”