article · Plants
Chemical analysis of Citrus limon essential oil identified limonene, beta-pinene, and gamma-terpinene as its primary active components. Testing revealed acceptable antibacterial properties and demonstrated that the oil, applied in the vapour phase, halted the growth of Candida and Yersinia enterocolitica across specific food models. Further assessments focused on biofilm prevention, revealing strong antibiofilm effects against Salmonella enterica. Mass spectrometry confirmed that the essential oil altered the bacterial protein profiles on both glass and stainless-steel surfaces. In addition, when applied to vacuum-packed sous vide carrot samples, the essential oil produced a slightly stronger antimicrobial effect against Salmonella enterica than observed in untreated controls. Together, these findings indicate that Citrus limon essential oil possesses antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties that could support natural food preservation.
Pathogenic bacteria and biofilms present major challenges to food safety and are increasingly difficult to control with conventional antimicrobial agents. Demonstrating that natural plant extracts like lemon essential oil can inhibit microbial growth on food contact surfaces and directly on packaged food provides a route toward safer, natural alternatives for extending shelf life and preventing contamination.
This research could enable natural preservative applications for food processing and packaging companies seeking alternatives to synthetic additives. Because the testing includes in situ food models and vacuum-packed carrot samples, the technology is applied and tested at a laboratory scale. Further development and scaling would be needed before deployment in commercial food preservation or surface-sanitising regimes.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
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 <i>Citrus limon</i> essential oil (CLEO) was evaluated. GC-MS analysis revealed that limonene (60.7%), <i>β</i>-pinene (12.6%), and <i>γ</i>-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 <i>Candida</i> and <i>Y. enterocolitica</i> 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 <i>S. enterica</i> 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 <i>S. enterica</i>. The anti-<i>Salmonella</i> 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.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/plants13040524
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
