61C-32 |
Antimicrobial activity of selected herbal essential oils on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes |
D. L. BYRD, L. T. Walker, L. L. Williams, S. Johnson, and M. Verghese. Department of Food and Animal Sciences, Alabama A & M University, P.O. Box 1628, Normal, AL 35762 Research has indicated that essential oils, which are concentrated herbal liquid extracts, demonstrate antimicrobial activity by inhibiting the growth of a wide variety of foodborne microorganisms. Essential oils have generated interest in the food industry due to the fact that industrially synthesized food antimicrobials may be associated with potentially toxicological health problems. The objectives of this study were to test the antimicrobial activity of and determine the levels of inhibition of four herbal essential oils on the growth of five strains of Listeria monocytogenes. Five Listeria monocytogenes isolates, 3 clinical and 2 meat isolates (F4260, F4233, 19116 – clinical; J9, G21- meat) were used in this study. Five essential oils (allspice, basil, cinnamon, clove, and ginger) at a stock concentration of 50% were spirally plated onto Mueller-Hinton agar and allowed to dry for 24 hr at room temperature. The isolates (104cfu/ml) were laterally streaked onto plates and incubated at 37°C for 24 hr. The antimicrobial profile were then determined. Antimicrobial testing showed that all 5 (100%) of the isolates were completely inhibited by cinnamon, allspice and clove essential oils. However, when these strains were tested against basil and ginger essential oils, all (100%) isolates were resistant. These results are significant to food product safety as herbal essential oils could aid in preserving foods and preventing foodborne illness from Listeria monocytogenes.
Session 61C, Food Microbiology: General I
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