article · Foods
Star anise essential oil was evaluated for its chemical profile, antibacterial efficacy, and insecticidal properties. Chemical analysis confirmed that the oil is primarily composed of (E)-anethole, which accounts for 88.4 percent of its composition. Laboratory testing demonstrated that the essential oil exhibits antibacterial actions against various bacteria, with the lowest minimal inhibition concentration observed against Escherichia coli and effective biofilm inhibition against Salmonella enterica. In vapor phase trials, the oil suppressed bacterial growth on pear and beetroot models. Furthermore, when applied to a sous vide pumpkin model inoculated with Salmonella enterica, the oil reduced overall microbial counts and prevented the pathogen from growing over a seven-day period. Structural evaluations also indicated changes in the protein composition of Salmonella enterica biofilms, and the oil demonstrated insecticidal effects against Harmonia axyridis.
Contamination by foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella poses continuous risks to public health and reduces product shelf life. Finding effective, plant-based alternatives to synthetic preservatives and pesticides helps meet consumer demand for natural ingredients. This research demonstrates that star anise essential oil can act as both an antimicrobial agent in prepared food products and a natural deterrent against insect pests.
This research is at an applied laboratory stage, demonstrated in food models such as sous vide pumpkin, pears, and beetroots. It could enable food manufacturers and post-harvest processors to formulate natural preservatives that control foodborne pathogens and prolong storage stability. It also offers potential application for agrochemical developers seeking natural bio-insecticides, though further scaling, stability testing, and sensory validation would be necessary before commercial deployment in industry settings.
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<i>Illicium verum</i>, commonly known as star anise, represents one of the notable botanical species and is recognized for its rich reservoir of diverse bioactive compounds. Beyond its culinary application as a spice, this plant has been extensively utilized in traditional medicine. Given the contemporary emphasis on incorporating natural resources into food production, particularly essential oils, to enhance sensory attributes and extend shelf life, our study seeks to elucidate the chemical composition and evaluate the antibacterial (<i>in vitro</i>, <i>in situ</i>) and insecticidal properties of <i>Illicium verum</i> essential oil (IVEO). Also, microbiological analyses of pumpkin sous vide treated with IVEO after inoculation of <i>Salmonella enterica</i> were evaluated after 1 and 7 days of study. GC/MS analysis revealed a significantly high amount of (<i>E</i>)-anethole (88.4%) in the investigated EO. The disc diffusion method shows that the antibacterial activity of the IVEO ranged from 5.33 (<i>Streptococcus constellatus</i>) to 10.33 mm (<i>Citrobacter freundii</i>). The lowest minimal inhibition concentration was found against <i>E. coli</i> and the minimum biofilm inhibition concertation was found against <i>S. enterica</i>. In the vapor phase, the best antimicrobial activity was found against <i>E. coli</i> in the pears model and against <i>S. sonei</i> in the beetroot model. The application of the sous vide method in combination with IVEO application decreased the number of microbial counts and eliminated the growth of <i>S. enterica</i>. The most isolated microbiota identified from the sous vide pumpkin were <i>Bacillus amyloliquefaciens</i>, <i>B. cereus</i>, <i>B. licheniformis</i>, and <i>Ralstonia picketii</i>. Modifications to the protein composition of biofilm-forming bacteria <i>S. enterica</i> were suggested by the MALDI TOF MS instigations. The IVEO showed insecticidal potential against <i>Harmonia axyridis</i>. Thanks to the properties of IVEO, our results suggest it can be used in the food industry as a natural supplement to extend the shelf life of foods and as a natural insecticide.
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DOI: 10.3390/foods13101505
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