1. Reverse micelles as nano-carriers of nisin against foodborne pathogens. Part II: The case of essential oils
- Author
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Voula Alexandraki, Effie Tsakalidou, Marina Georgalaki, Maria D. Chatzidaki, Elpida Gad, Vassiliki Papadimitriou, Aristotelis Xenakis, Fani Balkiza, S. Avramiotis, and Konstantinos Papadimitriou
- Subjects
Staphylococcus aureus ,Preservative ,food.ingredient ,Bacillus cereus ,medicine.disease_cause ,01 natural sciences ,Analytical Chemistry ,Thymus Plant ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0404 agricultural biotechnology ,food ,Anti-Infective Agents ,Listeria monocytogenes ,Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests ,Origanum ,Oils, Volatile ,medicine ,Microemulsion ,Food science ,Micelles ,Nisin ,biology ,Viscosity ,Food additive ,010401 analytical chemistry ,Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,General Medicine ,biology.organism_classification ,Antimicrobial ,040401 food science ,Rosmarinus ,Nanostructures ,0104 chemical sciences ,Lactococcus lactis ,chemistry ,Food Microbiology ,bacteria ,Emulsions ,Antibacterial activity ,Food Science - Abstract
During the last years, the food industry is working on the replacement of high energy methodologies with more sustainable techniques for the encapsulation of natural preservatives, in order to enhance their effectiveness as food additives. In the present study, nisin, an antimicrobial agent, was encapsulated in essential oil-containing microemulsions. More specifically, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and dittany essential oil-containing microemulsions were formulated to encapsulate nisin enhancing the system's overall antimicrobial activity. The systems were investigated for the interfacial properties and size of the surfactants' monolayer using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering. Subsequently, nisin-loaded microemulsions were tested for their antimicrobial activity against Lactococcus lactis, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus, using the well diffusion assay. Finally, this technique was validated by a killing assay. Overall, this study provides important information on the antibacterial activity of nisin-loaded nano-carriers enhanced by essential oils, in relation to the microemulsions' structure.
- Published
- 2019
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