Citrus limon Essential Oil: Chemical Composition and Selected Biological Properties Focusing on the Antimicrobial (In Vitro, In Situ), Antibiofilm, Insecticidal Activity and Preservative Effect against Salmonella enterica Inoculated in Carrot

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 4; p. 524
• Main Authors: Kačániová, Miroslava, Čmiková, Natália, Vukovic, Nenad L, Verešová, Andrea, Bianchi, Alessandro, Garzoli, Stefania, Ben Saad, Rania, Ben Hsouna, Anis, Ban, Zhaojun, Vukic, Milena D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.02.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: anti-Candida and Salmonella effect; antibacterial activity; antibiofilm activity; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; Assaying; Bacteria; Biofilms; Biological properties; chemical analysis; Chemical composition; Citrus fruits; Citrus limon; Cooking; Essential oils; Flavonoids; Food; Food preservation; Food quality; Food safety; Food spoilage; Gentian violet; Hydrocarbons; insecticidal activity; Insecticide resistance; Investigations; Leaves; Limonene; Microorganisms; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Oils & fats; Planktonic cells; Preservatives; Quality assurance; Raw materials; Salmonella; Salmonella enterica; Spoilage; Stainless steels; Terpinene; Vacuum packaging; Vegetables; antibacterial activity; microorganisms; anti-Candida and Salmonella effect; sous vide; insecticidal activity; chemical analysis; antibiofilm activity; carrot
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants13040524

New goals for industry and science have led to increased awareness of food safety and healthier living in the modern era. Here, one of the challenges in food quality assurance is the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. As planktonic cells can form biofilms and go into a sessile state, microorganisms are now more resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Due to their proven antibacterial properties, essential oils represent a potential option to prevent food spoilage in the search for effective natural preservatives. In this study, the chemical profile of essential oil (CLEO) was evaluated. GC-MS analysis revealed that limonene (60.7%), -pinene (12.6%), and -terpinene (10.3%) are common constituents of CLEO, which prompted further research on antibacterial and antibiofilm properties. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values showed that CLEO generally exhibits acceptable antibacterial properties. In addition, in situ antimicrobial research revealed that vapour-phase CLEO can arrest the growth of and species on specific food models, indicating the potential of CLEO as a preservative. The antibiofilm properties of CLEO were evaluated by MIC assays, crystal violet assays, and MALDI-TOF MS analysis against biofilm. The results of the MIC and crystal violet assays showed that CLEO has strong antibiofilm activity. In addition, the data obtained by MALDI-TOF MS investigation showed that CLEO altered the protein profiles of the bacteria studied on glass and stainless-steel surfaces. Our study also found a positive antimicrobial effect of CLEO against . The anti- activity of CLEO in vacuum-packed sous vide carrot samples was slightly stronger than in controls. These results highlight the advantages of the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of CLEO, suggesting potential applications in food preservation.