Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Effects of Garlic Essential Oil and Nanoemulsion on Bacteria Isolated from Food Products
Subject Areas : Experimental Studies
Asma Azizabadi
1
,
Ashraf Kariminik
2
*
1 - Department of Microbiology, KeC., Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran
2 - Department of Microbiology, KeC., Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran
Keywords: Garlic essential oil, nanoemulsion, antibacterial effects, food products,
Abstract :
Given the increasing need to preserve the quality and stability of perishable products, the use of essential oils and their nanoemulsions has gained attention as innovative strategies for enhancing microbial stability. This study aimed to compare the antibacterial effects of garlic essential oil and its nanoemulsion on pathogenic bacteria and to assess the potential application of garlic essential oil nanoemulsions in the food industry. Garlic essential oil was extracted through steam distillation, and its chemical composition was identified using chromatography. The nanoemulsion of garlic essential oil was prepared using the homogenization method. The antibacterial effects of both garlic essential oil and its nanoemulsion were evaluated against five bacterial strains Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes using the microtiter plate method. The main components of the essential oil were diallyl disulfide, trisulfide di-2-propenyl, dipropyl disulfide, and diallyl sulfide. Compared to the crude essential oil, the nanoemulsion exhibited stronger antibacterial effects at lower concentrations. The garlic nanoemulsion was significantly more effective in inhibiting bacterial growth, particularly against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica. Furthermore, the results indicated that the nanoemulsion significantly reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) compared to the crude essential oil. This study demonstrates that garlic essential oil nanoemulsions, due to their higher stability and stronger antibacterial properties, are a promising alternative to chemical preservatives in the food industry. Garlic nanoemulsions can serve as an effective natural system for maintaining the quality and safety of food products.
1. Angane, M., Swift, S., Huang, K., Butts, C. A., & Quek, S. Y. (2022). Essential oils and their major components: An updated review on antimicrobial activities, mechanism of action and their potential application in the food industry. Foods, 11(3), 464.
2. Aranda, K. R. S., Fagundes-Neto, U., & Scaletsky, I. C. A. (2004). Evaluation of multiplex PCRs for diagnosis of infection with diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and Shigella spp. Journal of clinical microbiology, 42(12), 5849-5853.
3. Bantawa, K., Rai, K., Subba Limbu, D., & Khanal, H. (2018). Food-borne bacterial pathogens in marketed raw meat of Dharan, eastern Nepal. BMC research notes, 11, 1-5.
4. Chen, H., & Zhong, Q. (2022). Physical and antimicrobial properties of self-emulsified nanoemulsions containing three synergistic essential oils. International journal of food microbiology, 365, 109557.
5. Chen, J.-Q., Healey, S., Regan, P., Laksanalamai, P., & Hu, Z. (2017). PCR-based methodologies for detection and characterization of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria ivanovii in foods and environmental sources. Food Science and Human Wellness, 6(2), 39-59.
6. Confessor, M. V. A., Agreles, M. A. A., Campos, L. A. d. A., Silva Neto, A. F., Borges, J. C., Martins, R. M.,…Cavalcanti, I. M. F. (2024). Olive oil nanoemulsion containing curcumin: antimicrobial agent against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 108(1), 241.
7. Dehariya, N., Guha, P., & Gupta, R. K. (2021). Extraction and characterization of essential oil of garlic (Allium sativa L.). Int. J. Chem. Stud, 9(1), 1455-1459.
8. Espitia, P. J., Fuenmayor, C. A., & Otoni, C. G. (2019). Nanoemulsions: Synthesis, characterization, and application in bio‐based active food packaging. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 18(1), 264-285.
9. Farazi, G., Asadi, G., & Gharachorloo, M. (2023). Investigating the Effect of Garlic Essential Oil Nanoemulsion Encapsulated with Arabic Gum on Antioxidant Activity, Shelf Life, and Sensory Properties of Flavored Olive Oil. Journal of food science and technology (Iran), 20(140), 96-112.
10. Hassanzadeh, H., Alizadeh, M., Hassanzadeh, R., & Ghanbarzadeh, B. (2022). Garlic essential oil‐based nanoemulsion carrier: release and stability kinetics of volatile components. Food Science & Nutrition, 10(5), 1613-1625.
11. Hu, G., Cai, K., Li, Y., Hui, T., Wang, Z., Chen, C.,…Zhang, D. (2021). Significant inhibition of garlic essential oil on benzo [a] pyrene formation in charcoal-grilled pork sausages relates to sulfide compounds. Food Research International, 141, 110127.
12. Kariminik, A., Moradalizadeh, M., Foroughi, M. M., Tebyanian, H., & Motaghi, M. M. (2019). Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oils extracted from 4 medicinal plants (Labiatae) of Kerman, Iran. Journal of Applied Biotechnology Reports, 6(4), 172-179.
13. Liu, M., Guo, W., Feng, M., Bai, Y., Huang, J., & Cao, Y. (2024). Antibacterial, anti-biofilm activity and underlying mechanism of garlic essential oil in water nanoemulsion against Listeria monocytogenes. LWT, 196, 115847.
14. Liu, M., Pan, Y., Feng, M., Guo, W., Fan, X., Feng, L.,…Cao, Y. (2022). Garlic essential oil in water nanoemulsion prepared by high-power ultrasound: Properties, stability and its antibacterial mechanism against MRSA isolated from pork. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 90, 106201.
15. Mehrotra, M., Wang, G., & Johnson, W. M. (2000). Multiplex PCR for detection of genes for Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins, exfoliative toxins, toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, and methicillin resistance. Journal of clinical microbiology, 38(3), 1032-1035.
16. Paolino, D., Mancuso, A., Cristiano, M. C., Froiio, F., Lammari, N., Celia, C., & Fresta, M. (2021). Nanonutraceuticals: The new frontier of supplementary food. Nanomaterials, 11(3), 792.
17. Rattanachaikunsopon, P., & Phumkhachorn, P. (2008). Diallyl sulfide content and antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogenic bacteria of chives (Allium schoenoprasum). Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 72(11), 2987-2991.
18. Satyal, P., Craft, J. D., Dosoky, N. S., & Setzer, W. N. (2017). The chemical compositions of the volatile oils of garlic (Allium sativum) and wild garlic (Allium vineale). Foods, 6(8), 63.
19. Seow, Y. X., Yeo, C. R., Chung, H. L., & Yuk, H.-G. (2014). Plant essential oils as active antimicrobial agents. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 54(5), 625-644.
20. Sepahvand, F., Rashidian, E., Jaydari, A., & Rahimi, H. (2022). Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk of healthy sheep and goats. Veterinary Medicine International, 2022(1), 3206172.
21. Sharma, S., Mulrey, L., Byrne, M., Jaiswal, A. K., & Jaiswal, S. (2022). Encapsulation of essential oils in nanocarriers for active food packaging. Foods, 11(15), 2337.
22. Sindhu, M., Rajkumar, V., Annapoorani, C. A., Gunasekaran, C., & Kannan, M. (2023). Nanoencapsulation of garlic essential oil using chitosan nanopolymer and its antifungal and anti-aflatoxin B1 efficacy in vitro and in situ. International journal of biological macromolecules, 243, 125160.
23. Swangsri, T., Reamtong, O., Saralamba, S., Rakthong, P., Thaenkham, U., & Saralamba, N. (2024). Exploring the antimicrobial potential of crude peptide extracts from Allium sativum and Allium oschaninii against antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Pharmaceutical biology, 62(1), 666-675.
24. Tao, J.-j., Xiang, J.-j., Jiang, M., Kuang, S.-f., Peng, X.-x., & Li, H. (2022). A microtitre plate dilution method for minimum killing concentration is developed to evaluate metabolites-enabled killing of bacteria by β-lactam antibiotics. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, 9, 878651.
25. Vaičiulytė, V., Ložienė, K., & Taraškevičius, R. (2022). Impact of edaphic and climatic factors on Thymus pulegioides essential oil composition and potential prevalence of chemotypes. Plants, 11(19), 2536.
26. Wu, C.-Y., Wang, C.-Y., Sun, G.-J., Li, Y.-Q., Liang, Y., Hua, D.-L.,…Mo, H.-Z. (2023). Antibacterial characteristics of allyl methyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide of Allium tenuissimum flower essential oil against Escherichia coli O157: H7. Industrial Crops and products, 202, 117058.