Development and characterization of a carvacrol nanoemulsion and evaluation of its antimicrobial activity against selected food‐related pathogens

Carvacrol has been recognized as an efficient growth inhibitor of food pathogens. However, carvacrol oil is poorly water‐soluble and can be oxidized, decomposed or evaporated when exposed to the air, light, or heat. To overcome these limitations, a carvacrol nanoemulsion was developed and its antimi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Letters in applied microbiology Vol. 72; no. 3; pp. 299 - 306
Main Authors:	Motta Felício, I., Limongi de Souza, R., Oliveira Melo, C., Gervázio Lima, K.Y., Vasconcelos, U., Olímpio de Moura, R., Eleamen Oliveira, E.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England Oxford University Press 01-03-2021
Subjects:	Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology Antiinfectives and antibacterials Antimicrobial activity Antimicrobial agents Bactericidal activity bactericidal effect Carvacrol Cymenes - pharmacology E coli Emulsions Escherichia coli - drug effects Escherichia coli Infections - prevention & control essential oil Food Food Microbiology food pathogens Food selection Foodborne Diseases - prevention & control Microbial Sensitivity Tests Microorganisms Minimum inhibitory concentration Monoterpenes - pharmacology nanoemulsion Nanoemulsions Oil Oils, Volatile - pharmacology Pathogens Pollutants Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pseudomonas aeruginosa - drug effects Salmonella Salmonella - drug effects Salmonella Food Poisoning - prevention & control Staphylococcal Infections - prevention & control Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects Surface-Active Agents - pharmacology Surfactants food pathogens bactericidal effect carvacrol essential oil nanoemulsion
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Summary:	Carvacrol has been recognized as an efficient growth inhibitor of food pathogens. However, carvacrol oil is poorly water‐soluble and can be oxidized, decomposed or evaporated when exposed to the air, light, or heat. To overcome these limitations, a carvacrol nanoemulsion was developed and its antimicrobial activity against food pathogens evaluated in this study. The nanoemulsion containing 3% carvacrol oil, 9% surfactants (HLB 11) and 88% water, presented good stability over a period of 90 days. In general, the carvacrol nanoemulsion (MIC: 256 µg ml−1 for E. coli and Salmonella spp., 128 µg ml−1 for Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) exhibited improved antimicrobial activity compared to the free oil. The carvacrol nanoemulsion additionally displayed bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli, P. aeruginosa and Salmonella spp. Therefore, the results of this study indicated that carvacrol oil nanoemulsions can potentially be incorporated into food formulations, wherein their efficacy for the prevention and control of microbial growth could be evaluated. Significance and impact of the study: Micro‐organisms such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis and S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium can cause contamination in fresh or processed food products. The use of natural compounds, for instance carvacrol, can be an alternative to the use of synthetic bactericides. Our data demonstrate that the carvacrol nanoemulsion (NECV) had stability for up to 90 days, promoted inhibitory activity against all evaluated micro‐organisms, and improved antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and S. Typhimurium when compared to free oil. These findings suggest that NECV can be evaluated as a food preservative to promote antimicrobial activity.
ISSN:	0266-8254 1472-765X
DOI:	10.1111/lam.13411