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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Residue Chemistry and Predictive Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312755

Title: Antibacterial activity of the essential oils extracted from cassia bark, bay fruits and cloves against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Listeria spp

Author
item LIU, HAIQUAN - Shanghai University
item LU, LIQUN - Shanghai University
item ZHAO, YONG - Shanghai University
item PAN, YINGJIE - Shanghai University
item SUN, XIAOHONG - Shanghai University
item Hwang, Cheng An
item WU, VIVIAN - University Of Maine

Submitted to: Natural Product Communications
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2014
Publication Date: 12/1/2014
Citation: Liu, H., Lu, L., Zhao, Y., Pan, Y., Sun, X., Hwang, C., Wu, V. 2014. Antibacterial activity of the essential oils extracted from cassia bark, bay fruits and cloves against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Listeria spp. Natural Product Communications. 9(12):1-5.

Interpretive Summary: Essential oils from spices are potential natural antimicrobials. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils of three spices, cassia bark (bark of Cinnamomum aromaticum Nees), bay (Laurusnobilis L) fruits and and cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Listeria monocytogenes were evaluated. The essential oils had potent growth inhibitory effects against the tested bacteria, and the oil from cassia bark exhibited the greatest antimicrobial activity. The main active compounds in the essential oils from cassia bark, bay fruits and cloves were identified to be cinnamaldehyde (78.11%), cinnamaldehyde (61.78%) and eugenol (75.23%), respectively. The results indicate that the spice extracts may be used as antimicrobial agents in food products to enhance microbiological food safety.

Technical Abstract: Spices are added into foods mainly for enhancing the organoleptic quality of the food. The application of spices and their derivatives in foods as preservatives has been investigated for years. In this study, we determined the antibacterial activity of the essential oils of three spices, cassia bark (bark of Cinnamomum aromaticum Nees), bay (Laurusnobilis L) fruits and cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), against Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Listeria monocytogenes, and 4 Listeria species. The chemical composition of these essential oils was analyzed by the GC-MS method. The results showed that all of the oils had potent inhibitory effects against the tested bacteria. The essential oil from cassia bark exhibited the greatest antimicrobial activity, while the oil from bay fruits had the lowest activity. The main active compounds in the essential oils from cassia bark, bay fruits and cloves were identified to be cinnamaldehyde (78.11%), cinnamaldehyde (61.78%) and eugenol (75.23%), respectively. The antimicrobial activity and the chemical composition of Cinnamomum aromaticum Nees bark and Laurusnobilis L fruits essential oils are reported for the first time. This in-vitro study demonstrated the antimicrobial activity of the spices, indicating the spice extracts are potential sources of antimicrobial agents for using in food products.