Essential Oils in Combination and Their Antimicrobial Properties
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 2 April 2012
- Vol. 17 (4), 3989-4006
- https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules17043989
Abstract
Essential oils (EOs) have been long recognized for their antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, insecticidal and antioxidant properties. They are widely used in medicine and the food industry for these purposes. The increased interest in alternative natural substances is driving the research community to find new uses and applications of these substances. EOs and their components show promising activities against many food-borne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms when tested in vitro. In food systems, higher concentrations of EOs are needed to exert similar antibacterial effects as those obtained in in vitro assays. The use of combinations of EOs and their isolated components are thus new approaches to increase the efficacy of EOs in foods, taking advantage of their synergistic and additive effects. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on the antimicrobial efficacy of these combinations. A survey of the methods used for the determination of the interactions and mechanisms involved in the antimicrobial activities of these combinations are also reported.Keywords
This publication has 94 references indexed in Scilit:
- Composition and Antimicrobial Activities of Lippia multiflora Moldenke, Mentha x piperita L. and Ocimum basilicum L. Essential Oils and Their Major Monoterpene Alcohols Alone and in CombinationMolecules, 2010
- Antimicrobial herb and spice compounds in foodFood Control, 2010
- Combined effects of thymol, carvacrol and temperature on the quality of non conventional poultry pattiesMeat Science, 2009
- Chemical Composition of Essential Oilsof Thymus and Mentha Speciesand Their Antifungal ActivitiesMolecules, 2009
- Composition, enantiomeric distribution, and antimicrobial activity of Tanacetum argenteum subsp. flabellifolium essential oilJournal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2007
- Effects of Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil and nisin on Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778Food Control, 2007
- Carvacrol Induces Heat Shock Protein 60 and Inhibits Synthesis of Flagellin in Escherichia coli O157:H7Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2007
- Inhibitory effects of selected plant essential oils on the growth of four pathogenic bacteria: E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenesFood Control, 2007
- Anti-Listeria monocytogenes activity of essential oils components of conifersFood Control, 2002
- Antimicrobial activity of the major components of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifoliaJournal of Applied Bacteriology, 1995