Ginger and parsley essential oils: chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, and evaluation of their application in cheese preservation

Abstract

Chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial activity of parsley [Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss] and ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) essential oils from store-bought parsley plants and ginger rhizomes were evaluated. A sensory analysis was performed on aged cheese slices treated with a mix of each essential oil and seed oil. Parsley essential oil was selected as the best compromise between sensory influence and antimicrobial activity and tested to evaluate its antifungal effects on cheese slices experimentally contaminated with Aspergillus flavus. Monoterpenes and α-zingiberene were the most abundant compounds in parsley and ginger essential oil, respectively. Both essential oils showed in vitro antimicrobial activity against different fungal species while only a bacterial strain (Enterococcus faecalis) was sensible to ginger essential oil. Only the cheese slices treated with parsley essential oil were appreciated by the panellists and its use has been effective in preventing the A. flavus growth in cheese.

Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss (Parsley): An Updated Review of the Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology

“…24 Hydrodistillatin is the main method to obtain the essential oil. 25,26 Because these compounds are insoluble in water, aqueous solvents are not suitable for their extraction. Whether obtained from the seeds or the herb, terpenes and terpenoids with low molecular weight comprise the major ingredients of parsley essential oil, followed by phenylpropanoids as the second group of major ingredients.…”

“…Aerial parts of the plant also contain a certain amount of essential oil from which some volatile compounds may be isolated; however, the yield of essential oil content of the seeds is about 10 times higher than that of the herb (1.2–1.7% in seeds vs 0.16% in aerial parts) . Hydrodistillatin is the main method to obtain the essential oil. , Because these compounds are insoluble in water, aqueous solvents are not suitable for their extraction. Whether obtained from the seeds or the herb, terpenes and terpenoids with low molecular weight comprise the major ingredients of parsley essential oil, followed by phenylpropanoids as the second group of major ingredients.…”

“…Some apocarotenoids including α-ionone and β-ionone have been identified in the essential oil of parsley leaves and aerial parts. 26,28 Coumarins belong to the benzopyrone group of phytochemicals, which have a backbone of benzene molecules linked to a pryrone ring. Based on the size of a third ring linked to this backbone, coumarins are divided to furanocoumarin and pyranocoumarin structures.…”

“…These compounds usually provide red, orange, or yellow colors to plant organs. Some apocarotenoids including α-ionone and β-ionone have been identified in the essential oil of parsley leaves and aerial parts. , …”

The Anti-Cancer Effect of Cinnamon Aqueous Extract: A Focus on Hematological Malignancies

“…The use of medical plants has been demonstrated to be useful in hematological malignancies, and this fact is undoubtedly arousing because every day clinicians in hematology and oncology units are confronted with the adverse effects of traditional drugs, which can sometimes cause the stop of the treatment if it is intolerable for patients and dangerous for their health [ 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 ]. Scientific research showed the efficacy of different natural compounds both in the prevention and cure of cancer [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 ]. Allegra and colleagues [ 33 ] studied the effects of rosemary in various types of cancer and put in evidence its action in augmenting antioxidant molecules, decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines and preventing neo-vascularization, all functions crucial for the insurgence and progression of a tumor in general.…”