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Myrtus communis Essential Oil: Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activities against Food Spoilage Pathogens
Author(s) -
Ben Hsouna Anis,
Hamdi Naceur,
Miladi Ramzi,
Abdelkafi Slim
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemistry and biodiversity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1612-1880
pISSN - 1612-1872
DOI - 10.1002/cbdv.201300153
Subject(s) - myrtus communis , antimicrobial , linalyl acetate , linalool , essential oil , chemistry , food science , food spoilage , limonene , listeria monocytogenes , minimum inhibitory concentration , geranyl acetate , traditional medicine , bacteria , biology , organic chemistry , medicine , genetics
Myrtus communis is a typical plant of the Mediterranean area, which is mainly used as animal and human food and, in folk medicine, for treating some disorders. In the present study, we evaluated in vitro antibacterial and antifungal properties of the essential oils of Myrtus communis ( Mc EO), as well as its phytochemical composition. The GC/MS analysis of the essential oil revealed 17 compounds. Myrtenyl acetate (20.75%), 1,8‐cineol (16.55%), α ‐pinene (15.59%), linalool (13.30%), limonene (8.94%), linalyl acetate (3.67%), geranyl acetate (2.99%), and α ‐terpineol (2.88%) were the major components. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was also investigated on several microorganisms. The inhibition zones and minimal inhibitory concentration ( MIC ) values of bacterial strains were in the range of 16–28 mm and 0.078–2.5 mg/ml, respectively. The inhibitory activity of the Mc EO against Gram ‐positive bacteria was significantly higher than against Gram ‐negative. It also exhibited remarkable activity against several fungal strains. The investigation of the mode of action of the Mc EO by the time‐kill curve against Listeria monocytogenes (food isolate) showed a drastic bactericidal effect after 5 min using a concentration of 312 μg/ml. These results evidence that the Mc EO possesses antimicrobial properties, and it is, therefore, a potential source for active ingredients for food and pharmaceutical industries.