article · Plants
Essential oil extracted from Lavandula officinalis sourced from Morocco displays notable antibacterial properties against several food-borne pathogens. Laboratory evaluation using disc diffusion and agar dilution methods revealed that the essential oil is effective against Salmonella newport and three specific serotypes of Escherichia coli, recording minimum inhibitory concentrations between 88.7 and 177.5 micrograms per millilitre. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry characterised the composition of the oil, while computational molecular docking examined interactions with the Escherichia coli target protein 1VLY. This docking analysis demonstrated that eucalyptol and linalyl acetate bind efficiently to the active site of the bacterial protein. In particular, eucalyptol exhibited a binding energy of minus 5.72 kilocalories per mole, surpassing the binding affinity of the positive control antibiotic gentamicin. These results demonstrate the specific in vitro and computational antibacterial potential of the oil against select food-derived bacteria.
Food-borne bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella present persistent challenges to human health and hygiene. Investigating natural compounds that inhibit these bacteria provides useful insights into alternative antibacterial mechanisms. Demonstrating that specific components like eucalyptol can bind strongly to bacterial target proteins highlights how natural plant constituents function at a molecular level against contaminating strains.
The findings could support the development of natural preservatives or plant-derived sanitising agents targeting food-borne bacteria, of interest to food safety specialists and antimicrobial product developers. However, the work represents early-stage research based entirely on laboratory culture assays and computerised docking models. Substantial formulation, stability, safety, and in vivo validation will be required before any commercial use can be realised.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil of Lavandula officinalis from Morocco using the GC-MS technique and assess the antibacterial effects against seven pathogenic bacteria strains isolated from the food origins of Salmonella infantis, Salmonella kentucky, Salmonella newport, three serotypes of Escherichia coli (O114H8K11, O127K88ac, O127H40K11) and Klebsiella. Tests of sensitivity were carried out on a solid surface using the Disc Diffusion Method. Results showed that E. coli and S.newport were sensitive to Lavandula officinalis essential oil. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined using the method of agar dilution. The antibacterial results showed that four strains (three serotypes of E. coli, and S. newport) were remarkedly sensitive to Lavandula officinalis essential oil, giving MIC values of 88.7 µg/mL and 177.5 µg/mL. The molecular docking of the main oil products with the E. coli target protein 1VLY, showed that eucalyptol and linalyl acetate bind efficiently with the active site of the target protein. In particular, eucalyptol showed a higher activity than gentamicin used as positive control with a binding energy of −5.72 kcal/mol and −5.55 kcal/mol, respectively.
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DOI: 10.3390/plants12071571
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