Evaluation of essential oils as antimicrobial agents incorporated into alginate-based edible film

• Grant number: 08/02856-1
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: July 01, 2008 - June 30, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal researcher: Mariza Landgraf
• Grantee: Mariza Landgraf
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In recent years, the potential of edible films to control water transfer, and to improve food quality and shelf life, has received increasing attention from researchers and industry. Antimicrobial edible films could extend the shelf-life of food products and provide microbial safety for consumers since they can reduce, inhibit, or retard the growth of pathogen microorganisms in foods. The antimicrobial activity of essential oils is assigned to a number of small terpenoids and phenolic compounds such as thymol, carvacrol and eugenol. Essential oils concentrations are often limited by organoleptical criteria, and for this reason the minimum concentration necessary to inhibit the growth of microorganisms without impairing the organoleptic characteristics have to be determined. Thus, the aims of this project are to evaluate the minimum inhibitory concentration of oregano, ginger, orange and savory essential oils; the development of an alginate-based edible film, the incorporation of the antimicrobial compounds into this film and the performance of the edible film in chicken breasts samples to reduce their microbial growth. (AU)