Qiumin Ma

Antimicrobial properties of lauric arginate alone or in combination with essential oils in tryptic soy broth and 2% reduced fat milk

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of lauric arginate (LAE) when used alone or in combination with the essential oil (EO) from cinnamon leaf and EO components, thymol and eugenol. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) for Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Enteritidis were determined by the microbroth dilution method in tryptic soy broth (TSB) at their optimal growth temperatures. The MIC for LAE was 11.8ppm against L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 and 23.5ppm against S. Enteritidis. Synergistic antimicrobial activity was demonstrated against L. monocytogenes with combinations of LAE and cinnamon leaf oil or eugenol, while the LAE and thymol combination showed additive antimicrobial activity. Conversely, antagonistic effects were shown for all combinations against E. coli O157:H7 and S. Enteritidis. Beef extract, at 2 or 5% w/v in TSB, showed no effects on the MIC and MBC of LAE against L. monocytogenes, while soluble starch from potato, at 2-10% w/v in TSB, increased the MIC and MBC. When tested in 2% reduced fat milk, significantly higher levels of antimicrobials were required to achieve similar inhibitions as in TSB. The growth curves of bacteria at 21°C followed similar trends as in TSB, showing synergism against the Gram-positive L. monocytogenes and antagonism against the two Gram-negative bacteria. Findings suggest that application of LAE could enhance microbial food safety, especially when used in combination with EO to inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria.

Nanoemulsions of thymol and eugenol co-emulsified by lauric arginate and lecithin.

Lauric arginate (LAE) is a cationic surfactant with excellent antimicrobial activities. To incorporate essential oil components (EOCs) in aqueous systems, properties of EOC nanoemulsions prepared with a LAE and lecithin mixture were studied. The LAE-lecithin mixture resulted in stable translucent nanoemulsions of thymol and eugenol with spherical droplets smaller than 100nm, contrasting with the turbid emulsions prepared with individual emulsifiers. Zeta-potential data suggested the formation of LAE-lecithin complexes probably through hydrophobic interaction. Negligible difference was observed for antimicrobial activities of nanoemulsions and LAE in tryptic soy broth. In 2% reduced fat milk, nanoemulsions showed similar antilisterial activities compared to free LAE in inhibiting Listeria monocytogenes, but was less effective against Escherichia coli O157:H7 than free LAE, which was correlated with the availability of LAE as observed in release kinetics. Therefore, mixing LAE with lecithin improved the physical properties of EOC nanoemulsions but did not improve antimicrobial activities, especially against Gram-negative bacteria.

Antimicrobial properties of microemulsions formulated with essential oils, soybean oil, and Tween 80

It was previously found that blending soybean oil with cinnamon bark oil (CBO), eugenol or thyme oil, Tween 80, and equal masses of water and propylene glycol could be used to prepare microemulsions. In the present study, the objective was to determine the antimicrobial activity of the microemulsions in tryptic soy broth (TSB) and 2% reduced fat milk. In TSB, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CBO solubilized in microemulsions was up to 625 ppm against cocktails of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica or Escherichia coli O157:H7, which was equal to or higher in concentration than free CBO dissolved in ethanol. However, MICs of eugenol or thyme oil in microemulsions were much higher than that of free antimicrobials. Therefore, microemulsions of CBO were chosen to do further study. Inactivation curves of L. monocytogenes or E. coli O157:H7 in TSB or 2% reduced fat milk were tested and fitted using the Weibull model. In TSB, a gradual decrease in cell viability of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 was observed with the microemulsion treatments at 625 ppm CBO, which was in contrast to the more rapid and greater inactivation by free CBO. Gradual inactivation of L. monocytogenes in 2% reduced fat milk was also observed in the treatment with 10,000 ppm free or microemulsified CBO. When fitted using the Weibull model, the predicted time to obtain a 3-log decrease of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 in TSB or 2% reduced fat milk increased with an increased amount of soybean oil in microemulsions. Additionally, increasing the amount of Tween 80 in mixtures with different mass ratios of Tween 80 and essential oils significantly decreased the log reductions of L. monocytogenes in TSB. Our study showed that microemulsions can be used to dissolve EOs and control the rate of inactivating bacteria, but the composition of microemulsions is to be carefully chosen to minimize the reduction of antimicrobial activities.

Physical and antimicrobial properties of cinnamon bark oil co-nanoemulsified by lauric arginate and Tween 80

Lauric arginate (LAE) is a water-soluble cationic surfactant which has antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of foodborne pathogens. Some spice essential oils are effective lipophilic antimicrobials. Combining both antimicrobials may reduce their usage levels and possible negative sensory impacts when applied in complex food matrices. The objective of this study was to combine a nonionic surfactant (Tween 80) with LAE to form stable nanoemulsions with cinnamon bark essential oil (CBO) and to characterize the antimicrobial activity of these nanoemulsions. CBO was homogenized at 1% w/w in the aqueous phase with 3% w/w Tween 80 and 0.05-0.375% w/w LAE, followed by heating at 90°C for 30min to obtain final emulsions. With 0.125% and higher LAE, transparent emulsions with ~100nm in hydrodynamic diameter were observed to be stable during 30-day storage at 21°C. Antimicrobial activities of the nanoemulsion prepared with Tween 80 and 0.375% w/w LAE were studied. The respective minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the nanoemulsion in tryptic soy broth (TSB) were 12, 7, and 8ppm LAE for Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes, while those of free LAE were 11, 6, and 6ppm, respectively. MICs of CBO were 400ppm for the tested bacteria and Tween 80 at 6% w/w did not show inhibitory effect. Growth kinetics of the bacteria in TSB treated with the nanoemulsion or individual components at concentrations corresponding to the MICs of free LAE showed that binding among the LAE and Tween 80 and CBO components resulted in the antibacterial activity of nanoemulsion being lower than same concentrations of free LAE and CBO. Conversely, little difference was observed for the individual antimicrobials and the nanoemulsion in 2% reduced fat milk, and 750ppm LAE and 2000ppm CBO were observed to be the dominant antimicrobial against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. The growth of L. monocytogenes in 2% reduced fat milk at 4°C was not observed when treated by the nanoemulsion corresponding to 187.5ppm LAE and 500ppm CBO. Therefore, stable and transparent nanoemulsions of EOs can be prepared with the combination of LAE and Tween 80 without compromising antimicrobial activities.

Effect of alginate coatings with cinnamon bark oil and soybean oil on quality and microbiological safety of cantaloupe.

The quality and microbiological safety of cantaloupes can potentially be improved using antimicrobial coatings that are able to maintain effectiveness throughout storage. The objective of this work was to study the effect of coating mixtures containing sodium alginate and cinnamon bark oil (CBO) on the quality of cantaloupes and the survival of inoculated bacterial pathogens and naturally occurring yeasts and molds during ambient storage at 21 °C. Cantaloupes were dipped in mixtures containing 1% sodium alginate with or without 2% CBO and 0 or 0.5% soybean oil (SBO). Weight loss and total soluble solids content of the flesh were not significantly different among coating treatments. However, changes in color and firmness of cantaloupes were delayed to different extents after coating, most significantly for the CBO+SBO treatment. Cocktails of Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, or Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on cantaloupes were reduced to the detection limit (1.3 log CFU/cm(2)) and completely inhibited during the 15-day storage by the CBO+SBO treatment, while L. monocytogenes and S. enterica reached populations of 2.9 log CFU/cm(2) and 2.4 log CFU/cm(2), respectively, on cantaloupes coated with CBO alone. Antimicrobial coatings, especially with SBO, also reduced yeast and mold counts on cantaloupes by 2.6 log CFU/cm(2). SBO improved the retention of CBO during storage suggesting it is related to the enhancement of quality and microbiological safety. Findings demonstrated the potential of the antimicrobial coating system studied to improve microbiological safety and quality of cantaloupes.

Quality attributes and microbial survival on whole cantaloupes with antimicrobial coatings containing chitosan, lauric arginate, cinnamon oil and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

Cantaloupes are susceptible to microbiological contamination in pre- or postharvest environments. Novel intervention strategies, such as antimicrobial coatings, are needed to improve the microbiological safety of cantaloupes. The objective of this study was to prepare whole cantaloupes coated with mixtures containing chitosan, lauric arginate (LAE), cinnamon oil (CO), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and determine survival characteristics of inoculated foodborne pathogens during storage as well as cantaloupe quality attributes. Chitosan coating with 0.1% LAE, 0.1% EDTA, and 1% CO was the most effective for inactivating foodborne pathogens inoculated on cantaloupes. This coating caused a >3logCFU/cm(2) reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes immediately after coating and reduced Salmonella enterica to below the detection limit during a 14-day storage. Total molds and yeasts also were reduced to the detection limit by the coating. The redness and yellowness of uncoated cantaloupes were significantly higher than coated ones from day 6. The firmness of uncoated cantaloupes and those coated with chitosan only was significantly lower than other treatments from day 10. No significant differences were found in total soluble solids content or weight loss between coated and uncoated cantaloupes. Results showed the potential benefits of applying the coating mixtures to improve the quality and microbiological safety of cantaloupes.